Generalarzt
Generalstabsarzt (short: GenArzt or GA) is the designation of a military rank as well as the official title in German speaking armed forces. It is equivalent to the Admiralarzt / Generalapotheker and Brigadegeneral / Flotillenadmiral.
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| Rank insignia | German medical service ranks | ||
| Introduction | 1956 | ||
| Rank group | Commissioned officers | ||
| Army / Air Force | *Generalarzt *Generapotheker | ||
| Navy | * Admiralarzt * Admiralapotheker | ||
| Abbreviation | * GenArzt (GA) * GenAp (GAP) * AdmArzt (AA) * AdmAp (AAP) | ||
| NATO equivalent | OF-6 | ||
Bundeswehr
Generalarzt, Admiralarzt, Generalapotheker, and Admiralapotheker are the lowest general ranks of the Joint Medical Service or the military medical area of the Bundeswehr.
Promoted to that senior rank might be assignments or appointments as follows:
- Chief surgeon of the Federal Armed Forces Hospital Berlin, – Hamburg, – Koblenz, and – Ulm
- Inspector dental medicine of the Bundeswehr (de: Inspizient Zahnmedizin der Bundeswehr)
- Inspector military pharmaceutics of the Bundeswehr – Generalapotheker (de: Inspizient Wehrpharmazie der Bundeswehr)
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Surgeon General of the Heer (de: Generalarzt des Heeres) -
Surgeon General of the Luftwaffe (de: Generalarzt der Luftwaffe) - Surgeon Admiral of the Marine (de: Admiralarzt des Heeres)
Equivalent to this one-star rank (NATO-Rangcode OF-6) are Brigadegeneral (en: Brigadier general) of the Heer or Luftwaffe, and the Flottillenadmiral (en: Flotilla admiral) of the Marine.
Address
The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons with the rank Generalarzt (OF6, one-star), Generalstabsarzt (OF7, two stars) or Generaloberstabsarzt is, „Herr/Frau Generalarzt“. At the other hand, military surgeons with the rank Admiralarzt (OF6, one-star), Admiralstabsarzt (OF7, two stars) or Admiraloberstabsarzt is, „Herr/Frau Admiralarzt“. Military persons with the rank Generalapotheker (OF6, one-star), will be addressed „Herr/Frau Generapotheker“, and with the rank Admiralapotheker (OF6, one-star), will be addressed „Herr/Frau Admiralrapotheker“,.
Rank insignias
On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there is one golden star in golden oak leaves and the career insignia (de: Laufbahnabzeichen) as symbol of the medical standing, or course of studies. Regarding the Marine, the career insignia is in the middle of both sleeves, tree cm above the cuff strips, and on the shoulder straps between strips and button.
| Heer | Luftwaffe | Marine |
|---|---|---|
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| junior Rank Oberstarzt Flottenarzt |
 German medical officer rank Generalarzt Admiralarzt |
senior Rank Generalstabsarzt Admiralstabsarzt |
Wehrmacht 1933 – 1945
Until introduction of the rank sequence OF8 Generaloberstabsarzt / Admiraloberstabsarzt, OF7 Generalstabsarzt / Admiralstabsarzt, and OF6 Generalarzt / Admiralsarzt, the official title Generalstabsarzt was independent from any military rank. Normally the most senior officer or general of the medical corps or service was appointed to wear the title of Generalarzt.
- Rank insignias Generalarzt Heer/Luftwaffe
| Rank insignias (dress and service uniform) | ||||
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(Reichswehr 1921) |
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Kriegsmarine
The equivalent to Generalarzt of the Wehrmacht was the Admiralarzt of the Kriegsmarine.
| Shoulder strap & cuff stripes like Konteradmiral, However, additionally with Caduceus |
| Ranks Wehrmacht until 1945[1] |  Ranks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical service | en | Equivalent Heer | en | |
| Generaloberstabsarzt | Senior Staff-Surgeon General | General der Waffengattung | General ... | OF8 |
| Generalstabsarzt | Staff-Surgeon General | Generalleutnant | Lieutenant general | OF7 |
| Generalarzt | Surgeon General | Generalmajor | Major general | OF6 |
| Oberstarzt | Colonel (Dr.) | Oberst | Colonel | OF5 |
| Oberfeldarzt | Lieutenant colonel (Dr.) | Oberstleutnant | Lieutenant colonel | OF4 |
| Oberstabsarzt | Major (Dr.) | OF3 | ||
| Stabsarzt | Captain (Dr.) | Hauptmann | Captain | OF2 |
| Oberarzt | First lieutenant (Dr.) | Oberleutnant | First lieutenant | OF1a |
| Assistenzarzt | Second lieutenant (Dr.) | Leutnant | Second lieutenant | OF1b |
| Unterarzt | Oberfähnrich (Dr.) | Oberfähnrich | Officer Aspirant | OR7[2] |
Germany before 1933
In Germany before 1933 Generalstabsarzt was normally the chief of the medical service of an Army corps (Corps surgeon, de: Korpsarzt), and in some cases of a Division (Division surgeon, de: Divisionsarzt).
In Prussian Army Generalarzt, in sense of general surgeon as a staff position, was a senior military official (de: oberer Militärbeamter) with a definite rank, in the first instance Major (OF3). Since 1856 he could rise to Oberstleutnant (OF4) or even to Oberst (OF5). Senior Generalstabsärzte were often promoted to Generalmajor.[3]
Equivalent authority, mandate and competence were with the Admiralarzt of the Imperial German Navy. Regular assignments to that staff position were the Medical Offices on Baltic Sea and North Sea, e.g. Kiel and Wilhelmshaven. An Admiralarzt of the Navy´s Medical corps could normally be promoted up to the OF5-rank Kapitän zur See.
Officers with that rank
- Walther Asal (1891–1987)
- Erwin Angermeyer (1888–1963)
- Karl Arndt (1909–1943)
- Rudolf Attig (1893–1981), Genralarzt (July 1, 1944)
- Hermann Bach (1870–1941)
- Ernst Baader (1894–1953)
- Paul Baethke (1895–1953)
- Hans-Joachim Barnewitz (1892–1965)
- Wilhelm Baumeister (1887–1963)
- Alfred Bayer (1888–1952)
- Paul Baethke (1895–1953)
- Hermann Bach (1870–1941)
- Ernst Becker (1884–1962)
- Rudolf von Burk (1841-1924)
- Walter Groth (1883-1947)
- Dirk Raphael (* 1953)
- Ferdinand Sauerbruch (1875-1951), Generalarzt des Heeres 1942
- Verena von Weymarn (*1943), Generalarzt der Luftwaffe
- Eugen Wullen (1892–1967)
- Arno Roßlau (* 1948)
Relevant literature
- Neumann, Alexander: Arzttum ist immer Kämpfertum - Die Heeressanitätsinspektion und das Amt "Chef des Wehrmachtsanitätswesens" im Zweiten Weltkrieg (1939-1945), 2005. ISBN 3-7700-1618-1
- Süß, Winfried: Der "Völkskörper" im Krieg: Gesundheitspolitik, Gesundheitsverhältnisse und Krankenmord im nationalsozialistischen Deutschland 1939-1945, 2003. ISBN 3-486-56719-5
References
- ↑ F. Altrichter: “The reserve officer”, fourteenth checked addition, Berlin 1941, pages 158-159. (Original title: F. Altrichter: „Der Reserveoffizier“, vierzehnte durchgesehene Auflage, Berlin 1941, Seiten 158-159.)
- ↑ The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф"
- ↑ Krieg und Sieg 1870-71, Kulturgeschichte, Herausgeber Julius von Pflugk-Harttung.