Junker

Junker is a German term with several related uses. Historically, a Junker was a member of the Prussian landed aristocracy—the rural noble class that owned large estates in the eastern provinces and formed a key part of the military and administrative elite of Prussia and the German Empire. The word originated from an older term for a young nobleman, and by the 18th to 19th centuries it came to denote the East Elbian landowners who wielded substantial political influence.

Junkers were concentrated in the eastern provinces of Prussia and were influential in the Prussian government, the army, and the conservative aristocracy. Many senior officers and civil servants were Junkers, and the class is often associated with monarchism, agrarian conservatism, and the imperial state. Notable Junkers include Otto von Bismarck and Paul von Hindenburg, who played major roles in German history.

Following World War I and the fall of the monarchy, Junker influence declined as land reform and republican politics reduced their political power. The term can carry a loaded connotation in modern German discourse, sometimes used to describe conservative rural elites; however it is also a historical label rather than a single political program.

Beyond its use as a social designation, Junker is a surname. The name appears in various family names and is not necessarily tied to aristocratic status in the present day. In industrial history, the name is associated with the Junkers aircraft company, named for its founder Hugo Junkers, a prominent German engineer and entrepreneur.