The Burgvogt was the administrator of a castle in the Holy Roman Empire.
[1] The Burgvogt organized life in a castle, its general operation, husbandry and military defence.
[2] Castles had been administered since the Early Middle Ages by castle commanders, captains or governors (Burghauptmänner), also known as castellans (Kastellane).
This led to the development of the terms Burgvoigt, the man specifically in charge of organisation and jurisdiction, and Burggraf (English: burgrave), who ruled over the wider territory around a castle, the Burggrafschaft (English: burgraviate).
[2] The title of Burgvogt retained its importance after the Middle Ages, as an influential administrator of a castle or palace, until around the end of the 18th century.