Rittmeister was a military rank of a comissioned cavalry officer in charge of a squadron, an equivalent of Captain, employed in German and Austro-Hungarian cavalry. It was also adopted into Russian New Regiments as rotmistr (ро́тмистр) and later legalized in Table of Ranks as the cavalry position; in 1798, a lower-ranking Stabs-Rittmeister was created.

The Polish army also used a similiar rank, Rotmistrz.