A member of the Veltheim noble family, possibly of Swabian origin, Burchard was a maternal nephew of the archbishops Anno II of Cologne and Werner of Magdeburg.
King Henry IV witnessed the ceremony, at the same time he accepted the subjugation by the rebellious Saxon noble Otto of Nordheim and his followers.
In the ongoing Investiture Controversy, Bishop Burchard sided with every imperial opponent of Henry IV, including the anti-kings Rudolf of Rheinfelden and Herman of Salm.
After a resolution in 1085, Emperor Henry invaded the Halberstadt territory and sought to depose Burchard at the synod of Mainz, but he was only briefly successful in removing him from his diocese.
"[1] Finally, Burchard entered into a fierce dispute with the Brunonid margrave Egbert II of Meissen, who sought to be elected anti-king in succession to Hermann of Salm.