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A ''
in 1770, in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund">Canton of Bern">Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785
There were two basic types of ''Vogteien'': ''Obervogteien'' (also ''Landgerichte'', ''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'').
A ''Vogt
An , sometimes simply advocate, (German, ), or (French, ), was a type of medieval office holder, particularly important in the Holy Roman Empire, who was delegated some of the powers and functions of a major feudal lord, or for an institutio ...
'' (plural ''Vögte'') was a title and office in the Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy, also known as Switzerland or the Swiss Confederacy, was a loose confederation of independent small states (, German or ), initially within the Holy Roman Empire. It is the precursor of the modern state of Switzerlan ...
, inherited from the feudal
Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...
system of the Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
, corresponding to the English '' reeve''. The German term ''Vogtei'' is ultimately a loan from Latin '' docatia''.
''Vogtei''
left, Franz Rudolf Frisching, bailiff in the Vallemaggia (district)">Vallemaggia The Vallemaggia District is a district of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It has a population of (as of ). The capital of the district is Cevio. Geography The Vallemaggia District has an area, , of . Of this area, or 1.7% is used for ...''Reichsvogt''
'' Reichsvogt'' was the term for a ''Vogt'', that was nominated by the king as the representative of theHoly Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
, and was especially in today's Switzerland in the High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history between and ; it was preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended according to historiographical convention ...
a very influential position.
''Landvogt''
The second type of ''Vogtei'' was a ''Landvogtei'' where the ''Landvogt'' ("sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
" or "bailiff
A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary.
Another official sometimes referred to as a '' ...
") resided permanently, usually in a castle within the ''Landvogtei'' known as ''Landvogteischloss''. There are several buildings still so identified, e.g. in Baden
Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine.
History
The margraves of Ba ...
and in Willisau. A ''Landvogt'' was an official acting on behalf of the Confederacy or one or several cantons, ruling a condominium ('' Gemeine Herrschaft'') of several cantons, notably acting as a judge for capital crimes (Blutgericht
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judicial power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents. The scale ...
). 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
The Oberhasli is a historical '' Landvogtei'' or '' Talschaft'' in the Bernese Highlands, Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Obwalden (OW), Nidwalden (NW), Uri (UR) and Wallis (VS).
From 1833 to 2009, Oberhasli was incorporated as th ...
in particular, which was nominally a subject territory of Bern
Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...
, but enjoyed a special status as a military ally.
The office of ''Landvogt'' was abolished in 1798, with the foundation of the Helvetic Republic
The Helvetic Republic (; ; ) was a sister republic of France that existed between 1798 and 1803, during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was created following the French invasion and the consequent dissolution of the Old Swiss Confederacy, ma ...
.
The notion of ''fremde Vögte'' ("foreign reeves") is central to Swiss national mythology, since the early Confederacy in the 14th century is commonly believed to have had the main purpose to expel imperial judges. One of the core points of the Federal Charter of 1291
The Federal Charter or Letter of Alliance () is one of the earliest constitutional documents of Switzerland. A treaty of alliance from 1291 between the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden, the Charter is one of a series of alliances from wh ...
is that the '' Eidgenossen'' "will accept or receive no judge in the aforesaid valleys, who shall have obtained his office for any price, or for money in any way whatever, or one who shall not be a native or a resident with us." The "foreign ''Vögte''" were replaced by native '' Ammänner'' called into office by the Landsgemeinde
The ''Landsgemeinde'' ("cantonal assembly"; , plural ''Landsgemeinden'') is a public, non-secret ballot voting system operating by majority rule. Still in use – in a few places – at the subnational political level in Switzerland, it was fo ...
.
The term ''fremde Vögte'' is still in use polemically in Swiss politics
The government of Switzerland is a federal state with direct democracy.
* The legislative branch is the Federal Assembly. The Federal Assembly has two parts: the National Council, which represents the public, while the Council of States ...
, particularly by conservatives, in the context of Switzerland and the European Union
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
.
See also
* Gemeine Herrschaften *Talschaft
In Swiss politics and the history of the Old Swiss Confederacy, a is the body of voting population in a certain valley. The grouping of voters by valley rather than municipality is a tradition harking back to before the establishment of the curre ...
* Reichsvogt
*Landammann
''Landammann'' (plural ''Landammänner''), is the German title used by the chief magistrate in certain Cantons of Switzerland and at times featured in the Head of state's style at the confederal level.
Old Swiss Confederacy
''Landammann'' or ''A ...
External links
*References
{{Authority control Feudalism in Switzerland Swiss noble titles