An energetic organizer in the National Socialist movement of the Bavarian Palatinate from 1925, he rose through the ranks to become Gauleiter (Nazi Party leader) of Gau Rheinpfalz in March 1926, succeeding Friedrich Wambsganss.

From 23 April 1938 to 31 March 1940, he worked as "Reichskommissar for the Reunification of Austria with the German Reich", in charge of fully integrating it politically, economically and culturally into Germany as the Ostmark.

While remaining Reichskommissar, Bürckel succeeded Odilo Globočnik as Nazi Party Gauleiter of Reichsgau Vienna from 30 January 1939 until 2 August 1940.

On 1 April 1940, he ended his work as Reichskommissar, and was named the Reichsstatthalter (Reich Governor) of Reichsgau Vienna, thus uniting under his control the highest party and governmental offices in his jurisdiction.

[1] While Bürckel pursued corrupt officials,[1] he also frequently embezzled confiscated money and property instead of turning it over to the state,[citation needed] earning him the displeasure of the Nazi hierarchy and he was removed from his posts in Vienna in August 1940, being succeeded by Baldur von Schirach.

[8] After the fall of France, in addition to his post as Gauleiter in Saarpfalz, Bürckel was appointed Chief of Civil Administration in occupied Lothringen on 7 August 1940.

On 11 March 1941, Bürckel was named Reichsstatthalter of the new entity, again attaining full control over Party and governmental functions.

[9] On 25 September 1933, Bürckel was granted the rank of SA-Gruppenführer in the Nazi paramilitary Sturmabteilung (SA) and was attached to the staff of SA-Gruppe Westmark.

On 8 September 1944, in a letter to Martin Bormann (with whom Bürckel did not get along), Bürckel opined that the lack of combat-ready troops to occupy the defensive line of the Moselle from the boundary of Gau Westmark via the arsenal of Metz-Diedenhofen, south of Saint-Avold (part of the Maginot Line), to Sarralbe made construction of defensive positions useless.

Bormann responded by dispatching Willi Stöhr (who was to succeed Bürckel after his death) to oversee the construction work.

On 3 October 1944, Hitler posthumously awarded him the German Order, the highest decoration that the Party could bestow on an individual, for his services to the Reich.