Landeshauptmann
Landeshauptmann (
German for "country head man" or "state captain") is the governor of an
Austrian state or of the
Italian province of
Südtirol.
The female version of this title would be
Landeshauptfrau. Whether female
Landeshauptmänner are to be called
Landeshauptfrau or
Landeshauptmann, is still the subject of public debate. This question [
1] first arose with the assumption of office by
Waltraud Klasnic (from the conservative
ÖVP) in
Styria on the
23 January 1996, who preferred to be addressed as
Frau Klasnic (Mrs. Klasnic) or
Frau Landeshauptmann. However,
Gabi Burgstaller (from the social democratic
SPÖ), the governor of
Salzburg since
7 March 2004, prefers the title
Frau Landeshauptfrau.
Since
1 July 1988, the
Constitution of Austria states that office designations can be used in
gender-specific form (Article 7 Paragraph 3 B-VG). The use of the designation
Landeshauptfrau is therefore explicitly permitted by the constitution.
For example, the same question also arises for the office designation
Bezirkshauptmann (chief administrator of a non-municipal
district in Austria),
military rank
Hauptmann (captain) and
Feuerwehrmann (firefighter).Sometimes, according to Austrian custom, the wife of a male incumbent is addressed as
Frau Landeshauptmann. The reverse form -
Herr Landeshauptfrau - is not common. Additionally the deputies of the Salzburg
Landeshauptfrau have so far preferred the designation
Landeshauptmannstellvertreter.
*
Constitution of Austria
