Vogt (Switzerland)

A Vogt (plural Vögte) was a title in the Old Swiss Confederacy, inherited from the feudal system of the Holy Roman Empire, corresponding to the English reeve. The German term Vogtei is ultimately a loan from Latin [ad]vocatia.

There were two basic types of Vogteien: Obervogteien (also Landgerichten, innere Vogteien) were administered by reeves (Obervögte, Venner) residing in the city, usually elected from among the city parliament, who visited their territories on certain fixed days to act as judges or collect taxes. They were represented by local lieutenants (Untervögte).

Reichsvogt was the term for a Vogt, that was nominated by the king as the representative of the Holy Roman Empire, and was especially in today's Switzerland in the High Middle Ages a very influential position.

The second type of Vogtei was a Landvogtei where the Landvogt ("sheriff" or "bailiff") resided permanently, usually in a castle within the Landvogtei known as Landvogteischloss. There are several buildings still so identified, e.t. in Baden and in Willisau. A Landvogt was an official acting on behalf of the Confederacy or a one or several cantons, ruling a condominium (Gemeine Herrschaft) of several cantons, notably acting as a judge for capital crimes (Blutgericht). The title first appears in 1415. The cantons took turns in appointing a Landvogt for a period of two years.

In exceptional cases, the population of the Landvogtei was allowed to elect their own Landvogt. This concerned Oberhasli in particular, which was nominally a subject territory of Bern, but enjoyed a special status as a military ally.

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