fogde

(in Norwegian; also Norwegian , Danish , Swedish , Finnish ) is a historical Scandinavian official title, translated as bailiff, relating to the administration of bailiwicks. He was in charge of the administration and collection of taxes on behalf of the government, either in a rural area or in a town. Etymology and history The word came to Norwegian via Danish , again derived from Middle Low German from Latin , as in legal advisor, literally 'called upon', via German pronunciation: – and cognate with the German . The early Swedish term was . The Latin term has also given rise to the English word advocate and its cognates. It appears sporadically in Norwegian sources from the 14th century in the forms , , , or . Old Norse (and its other spellings) and Norwegian also go back to Latin. The title of bailiff replaced the title of (Danish ) on farms in the Middle Ages, but reflects largely the same office: to be responsible for and manage some kind of property on behalf of its owner. This could be a farm, a piece of land, or a castle, in which case the title of bailiff is seen almost as a replacement for the title of jarl. In the estates, later called (Swedish ), the bailiff ruled. Hence one of the older words for bailiff: . Another synonym is . Responsibilities The bailiff had police and prosecution powers and collected taxes and fines in a district. For a time, the bailiff was also responsible for keeping track of foreigners. The bailiff issued and controlled passports.