“Hofburg” in Vienna.

The name translates as "Castle of the Court", which denotes its origins when initially constructed during the Middle Ages. Initially planned in the 13th century as the seat of the Dukes of Austria, the palace expanded over the centuries, as they became increasingly powerful. From 1438 to 1583, and again from 1612 to 1806, it was the seat of the Habsburg kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, and thereafter until 1918 the seat of the Emperors of Austria. Since then the palace has continued in its role as the seat of the head of state and is today used by the Austrian Federal President.

The whole palace complex is under the administration of the governor (Burghauptmann), who in turn is part of the Burghauptmannschaft, an office which has been in existence since the Middle Ages under the auspices of the Burgrave. At present the Burghauptmannschaft is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of the Economy.

In September 1958, parts of the Hofburg were opened to the public as a convention centre. In the first ten years, the Burghauptmannschaft operated the convention centre, since 1969 a private company (Hofburg Vienna – Wiener Kongresszentrum Hofburg Betriebsgesellschaft) has been managing the international congress and events centre.