Rotmistrz (derived from German: Rittmeister) was a military rank in Poland from the 15th century to the mid-20th century. It is often Anglicized as rotamaster. In earlier times the rotmistrz served as the commander of an infantry (rota piechoty) or cavalry company (chorągiew jazdy), though sometimes he would temporarily be assigned field-grade tasks commanding an entire regiment or even a larger formation.
In the cavalry the rank continued until 1945 as a company-grade title. Applied to the commander of a troop, it was equivalent to a modern-day Kapitan (Captain-equivalent in other armies).
This system is similar to the former German cavalry usage of Rittmeister ("ride master") for cavalry troop commanders, instead of Hauptmann as for similar ranks in other branches.
Notable Rotamasters
- Medieval and Early Modern
See also
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