Originally, a Drost in the Low Countries — where various other titles were in use for similar offices — was an officer of the local Lord, exercising various functions depending on the endlessly varied local Customary Law , such as Tax collection, Policing , Public Prosecutor and Execution Of Sentence s.
The office was also introduced in the Dutch Colony of the Cape Of Good Hope .
However it only came to more gubernatorial significance in some of the Boer polities that seceded shortly, notably:
- Graaff-Reinet had only one "national" Landdrost, 6 February 1795 – 22 August 1796 : Friedrich Carl David Gerotz (1739–1828)
- The Utrecht Republic had three consecutive Landdrosts:
- ---1852 – 1855: Andreas Theodorus Spies (1800–1889), who was already in office before the settlement declared itself a republic
- ---1855 – February 1856: J.C. Styen
- ---February 1856 – 8 May 1858 : Andreas Theodorus Spies (2nd time)
A similar gubernatorial role in other Boer polities was played by officials styled '' Kaptyn '' ('captain', in the original sense of Headman).
In the Cape Colony , an ordinance passed in 1827 abolished the old Dutch "landdrost" and "heemraden" courts, instead substituting British-type Resident Magistrate s, who would act only in English .
- Drenthe province, after Administrators ( 16 February 1795 - 8 May 1807 ), had two Landdrosts:
- --- 8 May 1807 - 1 January 1810 Petrus Hofstede (b. 1755 - d. 1839)
- --- 1 January 1810 - 1811 Jan Adriaan, baron van Zuylen van Nijevelt (b. 1776 - d. 1840); next it had Governors
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- Gelderland , after Administrators ( 16 February 1795 - 8 May 1807 ), had Landdrosts:
- --- 8 May 1807 - 14 November 1807 : Gerrit Willem Joseph, baron van Lamswerde (b. 1758 - d. 1837)
- --- 14 November 1807 - 1 January 1811 Johan Arend de Vos van Steenwijk (b. 1746 - d. 1813)
- ---1810 - February 1811 Verstolk van Soelen; next a Prefect (February 1811 - 1 December 1813 Regnerus Livius van Andringa de Kempenaer (b. 1752 - d. 1813), afterwards Governors
- 1807 - 1 January 1811 Hendrik Ludolf Wichers (b. 1747 - d. 1840), next two Prefects of Ems-Occidental, then Governors
- department ( 9 July 1810 - 1814 Nicolas, baron Frémin de Beaumont), then Governors
- Holland (only 1840 divided in the present two provinces North - and South Holland) as such never had a Landdrost; however, while the Amstel, Delf and Texel départements were only under Commissioners, these temporary fractions did:
- --- Amstelland , formed in 1807 from Amsterdam and northern part of département Holland, until it was on 9 July 1810 merged with Utrecht into French département Zuyderzee , had one Landdrost, 1807 - 9 July 1810 : Jan van Styrum (b. 1757 - d. 1829)
- --- 1810 renamed French département Bouches-de-la-Meuse ) until it was in 1814 abolished
- Overijssel , after Administrators ( 16 February 1795 - 1 January 1810 ) had one Landdrost, 1 January 1810 - 1811: Petrus Hofstede (b. 1755 - d. 1839), then two Prefects of ''Bouches-de-l'Yssel'' (1811 - 1814)
- Utrecht Province , after Administrators ( 16 February 1795 - 1806) had one Landdrost, 1806 - 1811: Jan Hendrik van Lynden (b. 1765 - d. 1854), then Governors
- Zeeland , after Administrators ( 17 February 1795 - 8 May 1807 ) had two Landdrosts:
- --- 8 May 1807 - 1809 Abraham van Doorn (b. 1760 - d. 1814)
- --- 8 September 1809 - 16 March 1810 François Ermerins (b. 1753 - d. 1840); next two Prefects of Bouches-de-l'Escaut ( 9 July 1810 - 1814), then Governors
- Meanwhile 'Lower Maas (=Meuse)'
After World War II, the old landdrost title was re-used for two extraordinary jurisdictions within the Dutch Occupation Zone in Germany. On 22 March 1949 , the Allies agreed to let the Netherlands occupy and annex some German border territories. These included the municipalities of Havert, Hillensberg, Millen, Süsterseel, Tüddern (Dutch: Tudderen), Wehr, parts of Höngen, Gangelt, Schumm, Saeffelen as well as Elten and Hoch-Elten.
The Dutch annexation effectively started on 23 April that year, with the following two jurisdictions declared:
- Landdrost of Tudderen ( Tüddern in German) (directly subordinated to the Dutch government up to September 1951, then to the Governor of Dutch Limburg province): 1949 – 1963 Hubert M.J. Dassen
- two Landdrosten of Elten (subordinated to the Dutch government up to September 1951, then to the Commissioner of the Queen -i.e. Governor- for Gelderland)
- ---April 1949 – October 1961: Dr. Adriaan Blaauboer (b. 1906)
- ---October 1961 – August 1963: Baron Hans Georg Inundat van Tuyll van Serooskerken (b. 1917)
This situation lasted until 11 August 1963 , when all territories except for minor frontier adjustments were returned, following German agreement to pay war compensation.
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