TheHofkammer (English: 'Court Chamber') was the centralfinancial institution of theHabsburg monarchy, responsible for the income and expenditure of the court and the state. It was in operation from 1527 to 1848.

Already underEmperor Maximilian I, the financial administration of theHabsburg hereditary lands and theHoly Roman Empire was centralized in a single court or treasury.^[1]

This institution was further reformed under EmperorFerdinand I and became independent of theAulic Council in 1527. The regional Lower Austrian Chamber inVienna, the Upper Austrian Chamber inInnsbruck, the Bohemian Chamber inPrague, and the Hungarian Chamber in Pozsony (todayBratislava) all fell under the Central Court Chamber (Hofkammer). After 1558, this was also the case for the Silesian Chamber in Breslau (todayWrocław).^[2]

The Hofkammer was housed in the Imperial Chancellery wing of theHofburg Palace in Vienna.

Under EmpressMaria Theresa, the Hofkammer was elevated to the central financial and economic authority of the Habsburg Monarchy, making it the highest authority not only for finance, but also for trade, economics, mining, and transport until the 19th century. It was not until 1848 that these powers were divided among newly created ministries and the Hofkammer was abolished.^[1]

The Hofkammer is the predecessor of the currentAustrian Federal Ministry of Finance.

The authority was initially headed by a Supreme Councillor, later known as President.^[3]

• 1527–1549 Hans Hofmann von Grünbühel
• 1550–1556 Philipp Baron von Breuner
• 1556–1567 Erasmus Baron of Gera
• 1567–1576 Reichard Streun Baron of Schwarzenau
• 1577–1579 Christoph Baron von Althan
• 1580–1601 Ferdinand Hofmann Baron of Grünbühel
• 1602–1605 Wolf Baron von Unverzagt
• 1605–1606 Jakob Baron von Mollard
• 1506–1508 Helmhart Baron von Jörger
• 1508–1512 Paul Baron von Krauseneck
• 1612–1613 Hans Baron von Urschenbeck
• 1613–1615 Seyfried Christoph von Breuner
• 1615–1616Gundaker, Prince of Liechtenstein
• 1617–1618 Vacancy
• 1618–1619 Seifrid Christoph Baron von Breuner
• 1619–1623Gundaker, Prince of Liechtenstein (2nd term)
• 1623–1629Anton Wolfradt, Abbot of Kremsmünster
• 1630–1634 Maximilian Baron von Breuner
• 1634–1637 Ignaz Krafft, Abbot of Lilienfeld
• 1637–1648 Ulrich Franz Count Kolowrat
• 1648–1656 David Ungnad von Weissenwolff
• 1656–1679George Louis, Count of Sinzendorf
• 1680–1683Christoph Ignaz Abele
• 1683–1692 Wolfgang Andreas Count Orsini-Rosenberg
• 1692–1694Leopold Karl von Kollonitsch, Cardinal, Archbishop of Kalocsa
• 1694–1698 Seyfried Christoph, Count Breuner
• 1698–1700 Thomas, Count Starhemberg
• 1700–1703 Gotthard, Count Salburg
• 1703–1715Gundaker Thomas Starhemberg
• 1716–1719 Franz Anton, Count Walsegg
• 1719–1755 Johann Franz Gottfried, Count Dietrichstein
• 1755–1759Karl Ferdinand von Königsegg-Erps
• 1759–1762 Rudolph Chotek von Chotkow
• 1762–1765 Johann Seyfried von Herberstein
• 1765–1771Carl Friedrich Hatzfeldt zu Gleichen
• 1771–1796 Leopold Wilhelm von Kolowrat-Krakowsky
• 1796–1797 Prokop, Count Lazansky
• 1797–1802 Franz, Count Saurau
• 1802–1808 CountKároly Zichy
• 1808–1810 Count Joseph O’Donnell
• 1810–1813 Count Joseph of Wallis
• 1813–1814 Count Alois Ugarte
• 1814–1816Johann Philipp Stadion, Count von Warthausen
• 1816–1816 Count Joseph Herberstein-Moltke
• 1816–1823 Count Ignaz Karl von Chorinsky
• 1823–1830 Count Michael Nádasdy
• 1830–1834 CountFranz von Klebelsberg zu Thumburg
• 1834–1840 Count Peter Joseph Eichhoff
• 1840–1848 Count Karl Kübeck

• Economy of the Holy Roman Empire
• Economy of the Austrian Empire
• Privy councils
• Household of the Emperor of Austria
• Habsburg monarchy