Bootsmann was a highest-ranking Petty Officer position in German naval forces. A lower-ranking Bootsmann was called Bootsmannsmaat. These names were adopted for the Russian Navy as боцман and боцманмат by Peter the Great, among many other Prussian and Holland military ranks; they were initially treated as positions rather than ranks. The army and air force equivalent is a Feldwebel. The navy of the German Democratic Republic (Volksmarine) however, did not use the designation Bootsmann, yet the rank was called Meister (master) instead.