was the title of the highest advising officials at the imperial, royal or princely courts of the Holy Roman Empire, who jointly formed the Geheimer Rat reporting to the ruler. The term remained in use during subsequent monarchic reigns in German-speaking areas of Europe until the end of the First World War. At its origin the literal meaning of the word in German was 'trusted advisor' - the word "geheim" (secret) implying that such an advisor could be trusted with the Monarch's secrets (similar to "secretary" in English being linguistically related to "secret"). The English-language equivalent is Privy Councillor.
The office contributing to the state's politics and legislation had its roots in the age of absolutism from the 17th century onward, when a governmental administration by a dependent bureaucracy was established similar to the French . A precursor was the Reichshofrat, a judicial body established by Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg. In Austria, the professional title of Hofrat (also Hofrath, Court Councillor) has remained in use as an official title for deserved civil servants up to today.
With the Empire's dissolution and the rise of Constitutionalism in the aftermath of the French Revolution, the office of a became an honorific title conferred by the German states upon high officials, accompanied by the address Exzellenz. During that period related titles no longer affiliated with an office arose, like, an award for outstanding contributions in the field of commerce and industry, or , an award for outstanding contributions to medicine. The term is also used in combination with the word Ecke -, colloquially describing male pattern baldness at the 'edges' of the forehead (i.e. the upper 'corners' of the face).
In the Republic of Austria the title was officially abolished in 1919. In Germany, the title largely disappeared after the fall of the German Empire in 1918, when the various princely states of Germany were replaced by the constituent states of the Weimar Republic, although Geheimräte continued to be appointed by the Free State of Bavaria. However, many honorees continued to use it, and the title, its abbreviation German: Geh. Rat and related abbreviations (German: Geh. Med.-Rat, German: Geh. Ober-Med.-Rat and even German: Geh. Hofrat) appear in captions until the 1930s, such as used by the German Federal Archives.[1] [2]
| Born | Died | Name | title given | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1530 | 1616 | in 1575 by Duke Charles III of Lorraine | ||
| 1609 | 1680 | in 1660 by Emperor Leopold I | ||
| 1646 | 1716 | in 1678 by Duke John Frederick of Brunswick-Calenberg | ||
| 1684 | 1752 | in 1710s | ||
| 1686 | 1747 | in 1721 by Emperor Peter I of Russia | ||
| 1714 | 1767 | in 1758 by Elector Frederick Augustus II of Saxony | ||
| 1720 | 1786 | in 1778 by Empress regnant Maria Theresa of the Holy Roman Empire[3] | ||
| 1749 | 1832 | in 1779 by Duke Charles Augustus of Saxe-Weimar | ||
| 1755 | 1830 | in 1810 by King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria | ||
| 1777 | 1855 | |||
| 1788 | 1857 | in 1841 by King Frederick William IV of Prussia | ||
| 1793 | 1864 | in 1856 by Emperor Alexander II of Russia | ||
| 1805 | 1896 | Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | ||
| 1821 | 1894 | |||
| 1831 | 1897 | in 1868 by King Wilhelm I of Prussia | ||
| 1835 | 1913 | in 1906 by King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony | ||
| 1845 | 1918 | by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia | ||
| 1849 | 1925 | |||
| 1840 | 1918 | |||
| 1851 | 1930 | by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia | ||
| 1852 | 1915 | by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia | ||
| 1853 | 1931 | in 1914 by King Ludwig III of Bavaria | ||
| 1854 | 1917 | in 1903 by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia | ||
| 1854 | 1915 | in 1911 by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia | ||
| 1855 | 1936 | in 1917 by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia | ||
| 1857 | 1928 | in 1895 by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia | ||
| 1858 | 1947 | by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia | ||
| 1865 | 1951 | by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia | ||
| 1891 | 1964 | in 1919 by Prince Albert of Thurn and Taxis | ||
| 1861 | 1949 | by German emperor King Wilhelm II of Prussia[4] | ||
| 1875 | 1951 | |||
| 1827 | 1908 | in 1888 by Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria | ||
| 1838 | 1907 | in 1896 by Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria |