The Feldhauptmann (plural: Feldhauptleute) was a historical military appointment, during the time of the Landsknechte or mercenaries in European warfare, who commanded a Fähnlein, a unit of roughly battalion-size.
Orally this was abbreviated to Obrist, the equivalent of "colonel" (likewise the rank of general arose from Generalobrist.)
Georg von Frundsberg, but later Tilly and Wallenstein as well, were often referred to by their contemporaries as Feldhauptleute.
In Rome in the Middle Ages there were Feldhauptleute, the so-called capitani.
German dictionary by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm General Archived 2008-02-21 at the Wayback Machine