Liechtenstein (officially the Principality of Liechtenstein) is a
landlocked country in the Alpine region of Central Europe and the
sixth smallest country in the world. According to its constitution,
it is a principality organized as a constitutional hereditary
monarchy on a democratic-parliamentary basis. The House of
Liechtenstein provides the sovereign; sovereignty is shared equally
between prince and people.
In the west, the Alpine Rhine
forms the border between the Alpine countries of Liechtenstein and
Switzerland; In the east the principality borders on Austria. The
state is divided into two constituencies and eleven municipalities.
The capital and princely seat is Vaduz. The largest town in terms of
area is Triesenberg, the most populous town is Schaan. The towns of
Schaan, Vaduz and Triesen, which have grown together, form an
agglomeration with around 17,300 inhabitants. The heavily cultivated
north (lower country) and the less cultivated south (upperland)
characterize the landscape of the principality.
With 39,680
inhabitants, Liechtenstein is the smallest state in the
German-speaking area. The official language is German, which in
Liechtenstein corresponds to Swiss Standard German; The
Liechtenstein dialects spoken in everyday life belong to Alemannic.
The proportion of foreigners is around 34 percent.
The
principality, which was created in 1719, was an imperial territory
of the Holy Roman Empire until 1806. It then became a member of the
Confederation of the Rhine and, from 1815, of the German
Confederation and thus gained sovereignty. Because of the
sovereign's connections to the Habsburg Monarchy, Liechtenstein
leaned on Austria until 1919. Since 1923, the country has been
closely linked administratively and economically with neighboring
Switzerland through a customs agreement. At that time, the Swiss
franc was also introduced as a Liechtenstein currency. These steps
had a very positive economic effect, but Liechtenstein did not
experience a strong upswing until after the Second World War.
Liechtenstein has one of the highest industrial quotas in the
world, with around 41 percent of gross value added coming from
industry and the goods-producing sector.
Like Switzerland,
Liechtenstein is a member of the United Nations (UNO) and the
European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not of the European
Union (EU); In contrast to Switzerland, Liechtenstein belongs to the
European Economic Area (EEA).
Oberland
Balzers - is a picturesque community known for its
historic center. Particularly worth seeing is Gutenberg Castle, a
medieval fortress that sits on a hill above the city. From there you
have a breathtaking view over the valley.
Triesen
Triesenberg -
This idyllic community lies at a height above Vaduz and offers a
wonderful mountain landscape. It is a popular hiking destination and
offers many vantage points from which to overlook the Rhine Valley.
Vaduz - Vaduz Castle, the country's landmark, is located here. It is the
residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein and offers impressive views
over the city and the Rhine Valley.
Schaan - is the largest
municipality in Liechtenstein and offers a beautiful mix of traditional
and modern architecture. Here you can take beautiful walks along the
Rhine and visit the pretty St. Laurentius Church.
Planks
Underland
Gamprin with the district of Bendern
Eschen with the
district of Nendeln
Mauren with the district of Schaanwald
Schellenberg
Ruggell
Entry requirements
There has been a customs agreement between
Switzerland and Liechtenstein since 1924, which is why guarding the
border crossings between these two countries was dismantled soon
afterwards. The border crossings have been monitored with cameras since
2008. You only need a valid passport or identity card when traveling
from Austria. The borders between Liechtenstein and Austria are
regulated by both the Austrian and Swiss border guard corps.
For
EU citizens, the national identity card (identity card) or passport is
sufficient for visa-free entry as a tourist. The principality has been
part of the Schengen area since November 1, 2008. This means that entry
is usually possible without showing ID, despite customs controls.
Airplane
Liechtenstein does not have its own airport and can
therefore only be reached by plane to nearby countries:
Zurich
Airport (Switzerland) - distance by car approx. 100 minutes
St.
Gallen-Altenrhein Airport (Switzerland) - distance by car approx. 35
minutes
Hohenems-Dornbirn Airport (Austria) - Distance by car approx.
35 minutes
Friedrichshafen Airport (Germany) - distance by car
approx. 70 minutes
Train
The almost 8 kilometer long railway
line in Liechtenstein, operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB),
is passed by international long-distance trains on the route Vienna -
Linz - Salzburg - Innsbruck - Feldkirch - Buchs SG - Zurich without
stopping. It is possible to arrive with long-distance trains via Buchs
SG or Feldkirch or, with an additional longer journey with S-Bahn or
regional train, also via Bregenz.
Buchs SG in Switzerland is only
3km from Schaan and 6km from Vaduz. From there there is a good bus
connection with bicycles to Liechtenstein (please check in individual
cases). Buchs is particularly suitable if you want to continue your
journey by bike or on foot, due to the short distance to the places in
the Liechtenstein Rhine Valley.
Feldkirch in Austria is 10km from
Schaan and 15km from Vaduz. There are direct bus connections to the
Liechtenstein lowlands and to Schaan on the Feldkirch - Buchs SG line,
with bicycles available (please check in individual cases). Feldkirch
may be cheaper for travelers from Austria and Germany to travel to
Liechtenstein than Buchs SG, especially since the train route is
shorter.
Traveling by local train to one of the three
Liechtenstein train stops Nendeln, Forst Hilti (Schaan) and Schaan-Vaduz
(Schaan) is possible with a change in Buchs SG or Feldkirch. However,
the train service is limited to commuter times (→ Mobility).
The
ÖBB domestic tariff applies to journeys from/to an Austrian train
station or an ÖBB border station to a Liechtenstein train station and
Buchs SG.
For journeys from abroad to a train station in
Liechtenstein, the same ÖBB international tariff applies as for journeys
to an Austrian train station. Sparschiene tickets to a station in
Liechtenstein from abroad or in the opposite direction are also
available; for transport with Switzerland, for example. B. the savings
rail for the Nendeln–Zurich route from €14 (as of December 2018).
The
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) do not offer direct tickets from
Switzerland to Liechtenstein stops; The ticket is only issued to Buchs
SG; for the remaining route from Buchs SG, an additional ticket from the
Eastern Switzerland Tariff Association (OTV, also: “Ostwind”) must be
purchased.
InterRail and Eurail passes that are valid in Austria
are also valid on the railway line in Liechtenstein.
Tariff
details for “internal traffic” within the cross-border region of Eastern
Switzerland/Liechtenstein/Vorarlberg: → Mobility
Bus
The
nearest option for arriving by long-distance bus is the long-distance
bus station in Feldkirch, Austria. From there it is possible to travel
by train or regional buses to Schaan-Vaduz and some other places in the
principality. Lines 11 and 14 run approximately half an hour during the
day between Feldkirch and the bus station in Schaan.
Car/motorcycle/bicycle
If you come from the north, you can drive via
Feldkirch in Austria. You can then reach Liechtenstein via a country
road. If you come from Germany, it's best to buy a vignette for the
Austrian motorways at a gas station in Germany so that you can get
around Vorarlberg more quickly. There is a cheap vignette for 10 days.
The other, faster route is via the Swiss motorway A 13. It travels
west along the Rhine and past Liechtenstein. You can easily get to
Liechtenstein via one of several bridges. The only disadvantage is the
higher price for the Swiss vignette, which is unfortunately only
available for a whole year. There are the motorway exits: Balzers,
Vaduz, Schaan, Gamprin-Bendern or Ruggell. Liechtenstein itself does not
have a motorway.
The alcohol limit on Liechtenstein roads is 0.8.
Drugs are generally forbidden.
Liechtenstein offers many
opportunities for cyclists. The Rhine Dam in particular, which stretches
along the entire country near the Swiss border, offers a unique
experience for cyclists. Further information: Swiss regional route 35:
Liechtenstein Rhine Valley route Sargans–Altstätten - map
By boat
The Rhine near Liechtenstein is not navigable and is only suitable for
small boats to a limited extent (white water travel). In summer,
however, it is sometimes possible to linger on the sandbanks in the
Rhine and have a barbecue. Swimming is clearly not recommended as the
current of the Rhine is very strong here.
The most important public transport is the bus; local rail transport
is limited to commuters. Located as a small buffer state between Austria
and Switzerland, the principality is well connected to neighboring
regions by public transport, with tariff cooperation between
Liechtenstein, Vorarlberg and eastern Switzerland.
By train
The railway line in Liechtenstein covers almost eight kilometers and is
part of the Feldkirch (Austria) – Buchs SG (Switzerland) railway line,
which is wholly owned by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and
operated exclusively by ÖBB. The Liechtenstein stops are Nendeln, Forst
Hilti (Schaan) and Schaan-Vaduz (Schaan), where only local trains stop.
Buchs SG is also the ÖBB border station.
The train service is
aimed at commuters. There are currently four local trains running on
weekdays in the morning and four in the late afternoon in each direction
on the Feldkirch (Austria) – Buchs SG (Switzerland) route. The trains
are listed in the ÖBB timetable image 401 and are also included in the
timetable book of the LIECHTENSTEINmobil transport association
(LIEmobil). The S-Bahn FL.A.CH project for S-Bahn-like operation has not
yet been implemented.
There is a connection to Vorarlberg local
transport and long-distance transport to Austria and Germany in
Feldkirch, and to Swiss local and long-distance transport in Buchs SG.
By bus
Liechtenstein has an extensive bus network. Most lines run
every 30 minutes until around midnight. Only the higher-lying
communities (such as Triesenberg, Planken and Schellenberg) are somewhat
less accessible.
Train and bus fares
Transport associations:
Tickets (travel tickets) can be purchased in Liechtenstein, Austria and
Switzerland.
LIECHTENSTEINmobil (LIEmobil) is the name of the
principality's transport association and is also the operator of the bus
routes.
Tariff cooperation exists with the Vorarlberg transport
association (VVV, logo Vmobil) and the Ostwind tariff association
(Ostwind logo) (also OTV for "Eastern Swiss tariff association"), which
is why continuous tickets are available in all three countries. With
regard to VVV, combined tickets are issued (addition of the two prices),
while for cross-border journeys to Eastern Switzerland, the Ostwind
tariff applies for the entire route, as the Liechtenstein tariff zones
are integrated into the OTV as an extension area.
Special rail
regulations: In principle, the combined tickets (LIEmobil, Ostwind,
combined tariffs) also apply to the Buchs SG – Nendeln route on regional
trains (regulations since December 15, 2019).
LIEmobil and Vmobil:
Tickets that are valid in the entire LIEmobil or Vmobil network area
(i.e. in the case of Vmobil ticket category "maximo") are also valid on
all trains - local and long-distance trains (!) - on the entire
Feldkirch (Austria) route. – Buchs SG (Switzerland) (Note: the LIEmobil
tickets for the entire Liechtenstein network area are also valid on the
cross-border bus line Schaan–Feldkirch–Rankweil–Klaus to Feldkirch).
Freedom of choice for train tickets:
For the Feldkirch – Buchs SG
railway line, there is only partial network exclusivity for journeys
within Liechtenstein up to and including Buchs SG and for journeys to
Vorarlberg. This means that either composite or combined composite
tickets or, optionally, ÖBB tickets can be used for train journeys. The
ÖBB domestic tariff of ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG applies. ÖBB tickets can
generally be purchased via the usual sales channels (in Liechtenstein,
however, only in the ÖBB online ticket shop or via the ÖBB mobile phone
app, as there are no ÖBB sales offices or ticket machines in the
Principality): ÖBB standard tickets (normal price) as well ÖBB advantage
tickets (for holders of an ÖBB advantage card with the usual advantage
card discount). Of course, the ÖSTERREICHcard is also valid on the
Liechtenstein section of the route up to and including Buchs SG.
However, ÖBB weekly/monthly tickets are not available for internal
journeys or for cross-border journeys to Vorarlberg. The easy-out ticket
is no longer valid in Vorarlberg since the 2018/2019 timetable change,
making it unprofitable for Liechtenstein due to the short railway route.
Swiss passport
General subscriptions and all Swiss Travel passes
are recognized, so holders do not need to buy tickets for trips in
Liechtenstein. On the railway line operated by ÖBB, these passes are
only valid on the regional trains between Buchs SG and Nendeln.
Half-fare subscription and Swiss Half Fare Card entitle you to purchase
reduced-price LIE-mobile and OTV tickets as well as reduced-price
LIEmobil-VVV combination tickets (VVV portion according to saver
tariff).
German (official), Alemannic dialect
The currency used is the Swiss franc (CHF).
In terms of architecture, it is one of the dullest countries in Europe. There is something interesting in Vaduz, however, Vaduz Castle is not just a castle, but the residence of the prince, and therefore tourists are simply not allowed there.
In Liechtenstein you can find a wide selection of both local and
international cuisine. So there is e.g. B. Restaurants with Italian,
French, Japanese, Chinese cuisine as well as a branch of an American
fast food chain.
Since Liechtenstein is very expensive by
international standards, the food is not cheap either. Even a doner
kebab can easily cost 12 CHF.
Nightlife in Liechtenstein is relatively sparsely populated. However, there are some bars and discos. The most activity is generally in the capital Vaduz, although the options are limited and some pubs and restaurants have a smoking ban.
There is a campsite in Triesen. You have to calculate around 15 francs per person per night.
The country has a university with more technical subjects. It is located in Vaduz. Most locals do a vocational apprenticeship, although the respective vocational schools are usually located in the neighboring canton of St. Gallen, as Liechtenstein itself does not have a vocational school.
Liechtenstein is a very safe country. This is clear from the fact
that locals rarely lock their bikes, even if they leave them in the
middle of the capital for several hours. The perceived security is
higher than the actual one. Violent crime is almost unknown in
Liechtenstein, but there have been recent cases of blackmail victims
being attacked and beaten on the street. Statistically, a murder case
only occurs every three years, which is why there is a very low police
presence in Liechtenstein.
On normal days, there are only two
police cars on the road throughout the country. Unfortunately, this is
not enough to prevent car and home break-ins, which are now
unfortunately part of the daily news in the newspapers. Nevertheless,
everyday crime cannot be compared with larger cities in German-speaking
countries.
There are no special diseases in Liechtenstein and no vaccinations are necessary. The medical care is excellent and the state hospital is in Vaduz. The European Health Insurance Card applies. Additional payments in Liechtenstein are high; in 2019 it was a flat rate of 115 sfr per month. It may therefore make sense to travel to nearby Austria or Germany.
The climate in Liechtenstein is mild and characterized by foehn-like gusts. The annual rainfall measurements show around 900 to 1,200 millimeters. In winter the thermometer rarely drops below minus 15 degrees, while in summer the average temperatures are between 20 and 28 degrees. There is often snow in Liechtenstein in winter, but foehn breakthroughs from the south can lead to temperatures above +10 or even +15 °C. Warm clothing should be worn in winter.
Liechtenstein is a very enlightened, tolerant and educated country.
Although the High German polite formula Sie exists, people greet each
other with Hoi in the Allemannic dialect. This is also done with
strangers and is in no way to be understood as disrespect.
The
residents are proud of their country and the prince is very popular.
This is definitely something to keep in mind when discussing politics.
Liechtenstein has its own telephone network with the country code
+423. Since Liechtenstein is part of the EEA, the EU roaming rules have
also applied here since June 2017, so that your own tariff from D or A
can be used without additional costs. However, bookings are often made
into a Swiss mobile network, which can lead to additional costs
depending on the local provider.
The independent
Liechtensteinische Post AG works closely with the Swiss Post through the
postal contract with Switzerland. This is clear from the fact that
Liechtenstein and Switzerland treat each other as domestic and therefore
the same tariffs apply. Liechtenstein is also known worldwide for its
postage stamps. There is a postal museum in Vaduz, and you can have a
note stamped in your passport at the Tourist Office (for 3 francs or
euros).
The state name is derived from the House of Liechtenstein, which has
been the head of state since the principality was founded in 1719. The
name of the noble family, in turn, is often traced back to a light
(light-colored) stone. For example, it is said that the family's
ancestral castle, Liechtenstein Castle in Lower Austria, was built on a
light-colored rock in the 12th century.
The state name is
pronounced in Standard High German with a short i. In the Liechtenstein
dialects, however, the digraph ie is realized as a double sound
(diphthong), something like “Liacht”. That was probably the original
pronunciation of the noble name. The German word “licht”, originally
also spelled “lieht” or “liecht” and pronounced with a double sound, was
subject to early New High German monophthongization and has therefore
been written and spoken as “licht” for a long time, a process that the
Upper German dialects did not take part in . Only the spelling “liecht”
was common until the 17th century, but then gradually disappeared.
However, the old spelling was retained in the noble name and state name
Liechtenstein because the princely family preserved it as a
distinguishing feature from other noble families.
The nickname
“principality” also goes back to its founding. The House of
Liechtenstein needed an imperial territory in order to be admitted to
the Imperial Council of Princes of the Holy Roman Empire. This was
achieved with the purchase of the Schellenberg and Vaduz dominions,
which have since formed the Principality of Liechtenstein. After the end
of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the nickname remained and the head of
state still bears the title of sovereign as enshrined in the
constitution.
Archaeological finds have shown that the current area of Liechtenstein has been inhabited since the Neolithic period (5th millennium BC). While the free-flowing Rhine made settlement difficult in the valley, the first settlements were formed at the elevations of the valley, as evidenced by evidence on the Gutenberg castle hill in Balzers or on the Eschnerberg. In 15 B.C. the Romans under Augustus conquered the Rhaetian territory and established the Roman province of Raetia. In the 1st century AD, the Milan-Bregenz military road was built, which ran over the Luzisteig along the right bank of the Rhine, and manors and forts (e.g. in Schaan) were also built in the area of today's Liechtenstein. The settlement or road station Magia recorded on the Tabula Peutingeriana was possibly in Balzers or Mäls in the south of Liechtenstein.
With the collapse of the Roman Empire, the immigration of the Alemanni began and Rhaetia was ultimately incorporated into the Franconian Empire in the 8th century and into the Alemannic Duchy in the 10th century. At that time, the area that is now Liechtenstein was ruled by the Counts of Bregenz. Emperor Friedrich I gave the area to the Lords of Schellenberg in 1180. In 1317 they sold their property to the Counts of Werdenberg. On May 3, 1342, the then dominion of the Counts of Werdenberg-Sargans was divided among the sons of Rudolf II, so that the County of Vaduz was created. On July 22, 1396, the German King Wenceslaus declared the Werdenberger possessions to be immediate areas of the German Empire. Schellenberg and Vaduz became part of the Reich. In the decades and centuries that followed, the counties repeatedly became the scene of wars and looting, e.g. B. in the Old Zurich War (1444–1446) or in the Swabian War (1499–1500). The Swabian Counts of Sulz acquired the counties of Vaduz and Schellenberg through marriage in 1507. Count Karl Ludwig von Sulz sold it to Count Kaspar von Hohenems in 1613 for 200,000 guilders.
Witch hunts took place in the county of Vaduz and in the Schellenberg domain at the end of the 16th and mid-17th centuries. The peak was between 1648 and 1651, when around 100 people were executed. Then there were witch trials again, as a result of which at least nine people were burned as witches and sorcerers. Further trials took place in the 1660s and 1675/76. More informative sources are available for the last phase of the witch hunts around 1679/80 alone. The Vaduz witch trials came to an end in 1681 when the emperor forbade Count Ferdinand Karl von Hohenems to continue the inquisitions and trials. In 1684 the emperor withdrew criminal jurisdiction from the count because he had enriched himself from the assets of the condemned. Ferdinand Karl von Hohenems was arrested, accused, convicted and exiled to Kaufbeuren in Swabia.
Over time, the rulers of Hohenems became increasingly indebted,
especially under the rule of Ferdinand Karl von Hohenems. Eventually
they were forced to sell the county of Vaduz and the Schellenberg
estate. In 1699, Prince Hans Adam of Liechtenstein acquired the rule of
Schellenberg and in 1712 the county of Vaduz from Jakob Hannibal III.
von Hohenems, Ferdinand Karl's brother. The wealthy and influential
princes of Liechtenstein at the Viennese imperial court had long wanted
to acquire territory directly within the empire - this was the
prerequisite for the House of Liechtenstein, which had been elevated to
the status of imperial prince in the 17th century, to also have a seat
and a vote in the Imperial Council of Princes of the Reichstag and could
thus rise to the imperial estates. On January 23, 1719, a diploma from
Emperor Charles VI united. the county of Vaduz and the lordship of
Schellenberg and elevated them to an imperial principality called
Liechtenstein. Since the new country only consisted of small farming
villages, the administration was initially installed in the nearest
town, Feldkirch, where the prince had the Liechtenstein Palace built for
this purpose.
During the coalition wars, Liechtenstein was
repeatedly occupied by foreign troops, so that the population became
increasingly impoverished. In the War of the First Coalition
(1792–1797), French troops invaded the principality, and after fighting
between Austria (with the support of Russia) and France, Liechtenstein
was occupied by Napoleonic troops in the War of the Second Coalition
(1799–1802). In 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Confederation of
the Rhine and included the Principality of Liechtenstein as one of the
16 founding members without consulting the prince, so that Liechtenstein
became independent under Prince John I. A few days later, Emperor Franz
II (now Franz I in Austria) declared the Holy Roman Empire to be
extinct, which meant the independence of all previous imperial
territories. At the Congress of Vienna in 1814/1815, Liechtenstein's
independence was confirmed and the country was accepted into the German
Confederation.
In the plenary session of the Bundestag, the Prince of Liechtenstein
had one vote, but in the lower council, Liechtenstein voted as part of
the 16th Curia because it was too small for its own virile vote, like
many other German states. His troops (55 infantrymen) formed a platoon
in a company of the 11th battalion of the reserve division in the
Federal Army.
Liechtenstein developed only slowly over the years
and decades and remained backward for a long time. A revolution in 1848
brought about no short-term change. It was only the customs treaty
concluded with the Austrian Empire in 1852 that brought an economic
boom. The constitutional constitution of 1862 led to political changes
that meant that the prince could no longer rule without restrictions.
When Alaska was sold in 1867, the Russian Tsar is said to have first
made a purchase offer to the Prince of Liechtenstein before an offer was
made to the USA. However, the prince rejected this offer.
In the
federal resolution of June 14, 1866 (against Prussia), the Liechtenstein
representative voted in Austria's favor. In the subsequent German War,
the troops of the Principality of Austria supported Italy, but did not
come into contact with the enemy. Since the German Confederation was
dissolved after the war and Prussia was only allowed to establish its
federal state north of the Main, Liechtenstein has been without
membership in a defense alliance ever since. When the North German
Confederation expanded to include the other southern German states to
form the German Empire in 1871, Liechtenstein was left out and thus
retained its independence. The close connection to Austria remained.
During the First World War, Liechtenstein remained neutral and would
have been unable to defend itself in the event of an attack, as the army
had already been disbanded in 1868 for cost reasons. However, this had
the advantage that there were no shortages of workers due to the war.
The textile industry that had been built up in the previous decades
could have gained further importance; But the Allies banned the supply
of yarn via Switzerland, so that the textile industry came to a complete
standstill. This was also accompanied by an impoverishment of the
Liechtenstein population. After the end of the war, Liechtenstein
finally dissolved the customs agreement with the war loser Austria.
The Austrian crown was Liechtenstein's currency until the collapse
of the Habsburg Monarchy. It was not until 1924 that the Swiss franc was
introduced as an official means of payment. In the meantime,
Liechtenstein put emergency money into circulation, but this lost a lot
of value and could not exist alongside the Swiss franc, which was
preferred by the population. As early as 1920, a secretly prepared count
of the crowns and crown balances in the country was carried out on March
8th while the borders were closed in order to be able to determine the
modalities of an exchange.
After the dissolution of the customs and tax association with Austria, which was unanimously decided by the Liechtenstein state parliament on August 2, 1919 and implemented in the fall of 1919, Liechtenstein became increasingly closer to Switzerland, and finally in 1923 the customs treaty that still exists today (officially : “Treaty between Switzerland and Liechtenstein on the connection of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the Swiss customs territory”) signed with Switzerland. The principality has been part of the Swiss customs territory since 1923 and the national currency has been the Swiss franc since 1924. However, Liechtenstein did not conclude an official currency agreement with Switzerland until June 19, 1980. The Customs Treaty continues to guarantee the full sovereign rights of His Serene Highness the Prince of Liechtenstein. As a result of the treaty, there is still a close partnership between the two states today. The border between Austria and Liechtenstein is monitored by the Swiss Border Guard Corps.
After the "annexation of Austria" to the German Reich in March 1938,
the newly reigning Prince Franz Josef II, as the first prince of
Liechtenstein, decided to move his residence from eastern Austria and
southern Moravia to Liechtenstein, to Vaduz Castle, due to his rejection
of National Socialism.
As in the First World War, Liechtenstein
remained neutral in the Second World War and was never involved in
direct hostilities. Instead, the principality was able to use its
locational advantages (including no absences of army personnel, central
location, customs union with neutral Switzerland, tax advantages and
political stability). Many new industrial companies were founded in
Liechtenstein and strong economic growth began.
Since the end of the Second World War, Liechtenstein has been able to
develop slowly and steadily into an important economic location with
great political stability. However, women's suffrage was only introduced
in 1984, and accession to the United Nations (UNO) took place in 1990.
Participation in the European Economic Area (EEA), which was approved in
a referendum in 1992 with a clear majority, was important for the
development of the economy was agreed to.
EEA membership brought
with it the four fundamental freedoms (persons, goods, services and
capital) between the European Union and Liechtenstein as well as the
remaining EEA members Norway and Iceland. On August 15, 2004, Prince
Hans-Adam II appointed his son and Hereditary Prince Alois of
Liechtenstein as his deputy and entrusted him with exercising the
sovereign rights to which the prince was entitled. However, the title of
prince will only pass to his son after Hans-Adam's death.
In 2008
there was a tax scandal with Germany in which numerous German tax
evaders were exposed. As a result, Liechtenstein committed to a
consistent white money strategy. Liechtenstein strengthened its
regulatory measures in the financial center and signed a number of
bilateral agreements on double taxation and/or the exchange of
information in tax matters.
Liechtenstein is a small state located on the right bank of the Rhine
in the Alps, surrounded by the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen in the west
(on the opposite side of the Rhine) and Graubünden in the south and the
Austrian state of Vorarlberg in the east and north. Its national border
with Switzerland in the west corresponds to the course of the Rhine,
while the southern and eastern national borders are characterized by the
high Alpine mountains, the Rätikon. The border with Austria runs largely
on the mountain ridge. Along with Uzbekistan, Liechtenstein is the
second of the two landlocked states that are surrounded exclusively by
landlocked states.
The country covers an area of 160,477 square
kilometers, making it the fourth smallest country in Europe and the
sixth smallest in the world. It measures 24.77 kilometers at its longest
point and 12.35 kilometers at its widest.
Liechtenstein borders
Switzerland for 41.2 kilometers, of which 27.2 kilometers are on the
canton of St. Gallen and 14 kilometers on the canton of Graubünden. The
length of the state border with the Republic of Austria (federal state
of Vorarlberg) is 36.7 kilometers. The largest town in terms of
inhabitants is Schaan.
On Alp Bargälla, east of Gaflei, is
approximately 120 m southwest of the Samina Valley alpine hut at 1721 m
above sea level the geographical center of Liechtenstein.
Liechtenstein is divided into two landscapes, the main settlement
area being the Rhine Valley in the west and the Sami Valley with
secondary valleys in the east. The latter changes borders as it
progresses and flows into the lower Walgau of Vorarlberg at Frastanz.
This part of the country is separated from the Rhine Valley by a 1,000
to over 2,000 meter high mountain ridge, is hardly populated and makes
up around a third of the country's area.
The country is further
divided into two regions, the lower country and the upper country. The
Lower Country includes the communities north of Schaan and Planken
(roughly on the line of the Three Sisters), while the Upper Country
includes the southern part of the principality. In terms of natural
space, these two regions differ in that the upper country is more
strongly influenced by the Alpine mountains, while the lower country -
with the exception of the Eschnerberg - extends predominantly to the
Rhine valley.
Of the country's area, 11 percent is settlement
area, 33 percent is agricultural land, 41 percent is forest area and 15
percent is unproductive area.
Liechtenstein lies at the western end of the Rätikon and therefore at
the geological western end of the Eastern Alps. The country occupies a
central position in the east-west Alpine border area.
The
geological structure of Liechtenstein is formed in three regionally
different marine areas, which were formed at different times and in
different facies. The depositional environments form the three-part
geological structure of the principality in storey-like ceilings: below
are the Western Alpine and Helvetic Limestone Alps. The rocks come from
the Jurassic and Cretaceous. The sedimentation occurred in a shallow sea
that gradually became deeper. In addition to lime, sandstone and marl
were also formed.
In the middle, east of the Rhine, on which
Liechtenstein borders in the west, is a thick layered package with
various flysch rocks. They are attributed to the Penninic period. The
formation of the marine deposits is dated to the Upper Cretaceous and
the Early Tertiary. Their composition consists of alternating layers of
claystone, sandstone, marl and sand-limestone. The southern flysch zone
was pushed over by a mass of sediment.
The uppermost geological
level of the Eastern Alps is formed by the Lechtal ceiling, which is
divided into clods in Liechtenstein.
Geomorphologically, Liechtenstein consists of two parts: on one side
there is the plain along the Rhine in the west, while on the other side
there are high mountains in the east. A geological peculiarity is that
the western end of the Rätikon forms the geological end of the Eastern
Alps as part of a microplate that was torn away from Africa. The rocks
of the Liechtenstein mountain and hill landscape consist almost entirely
of marine sediments. The sediments consist of three different layers
that come from different bodies of water: At the top there is the
Lechtal cover, formed from several clods, which lies above a large layer
of flysch rock. Beneath the flysch rock layer are the Western Alpine
Limestone Alps. They were formed through lithogenesis in the Mesozoic
and Tertiary periods in the “primeval Mediterranean” Tethys. Through
tectonic movements that came from the south and east, the African plates
pushed over and under each other with the European nappes of the
Helveticum and the Flysch. Tectogenesis resulted in stretching
processes, folding, metamorphosis, scaling and fracture formation.
Short streams formed on steep valley slopes. This led to the
creation of torn valleys, ditches, gullies and ravines. Due to the
easily weatherable rock of the Flysch and the main dolomite located
there, cones and piles of rubble have formed. At the end of the Würm Ice
Age, in which glaciers up to 1700 m high could be found in what is now
Liechtenstein, ice streams from the Rhine glacier were deposited,
carrying moraine material with them that was transported from the south.
Around 14,500 BC By 400 BC the Rhine glacier had finally withdrawn from
Liechtenstein territory. Drumlins up to 1600 m long appeared on the
southeast flank of the Eschnerberg.
Around half of Liechtenstein's national territory is mountainous.
Liechtenstein lies entirely in the Rätikon region and can therefore be
assigned – depending on the division of the Alps – to the Eastern Alps
(dividing the Alps into two) or the Central Alps (dividing the Alps into
three).
The highest point in Liechtenstein is the Vordere
Grauspitz (Vordergrauspitz) with a height of 2599 m above sea level. M.,
while the lowest point is the Ruggeller Riet at a height of 430 m above
sea level. M. represents.
In total there are 32 mountains in
Liechtenstein with a height of at least 2000 meters. The Falknishorn is
2452 m above sea level. M. is the fifth highest mountain in
Liechtenstein and represents the southernmost point of the country. The
border triangle of Liechtenstein-Graubünden-Vorarlberg is the Naafkopf
(2570 m above sea level).
In addition to the peaks of the Alpine
chain, which belong to the Limestone Alps, two inselbergs rise from the
Rhine valley, the border mountains Fläscherberg (1135 m above sea level)
in the south and the Eschnerberg (698 m above sea level) in the north,
which form part of the Helvetic ceiling or flysch zone of the Alps. The
Eschnerberg is an important settlement area in the Liechtenstein
lowlands.
The Rhine is the most important and largest body of water in
Liechtenstein. At a length of around 27 kilometers, it represents the
natural border with Switzerland and is of great importance for
Liechtenstein's water supply. The Rhine is also an important local
recreation area for the population. At 10 kilometers, the Samina is the
second longest river in the principality. The whitewater river rises in
Triesenberg and flows into the Ill in Austria (near Feldkirch).
The only naturally formed lake in Liechtenstein is the Gampriner
Seelein, which was only formed in 1927 by a flood of the Rhine with
massive erosion. There are also other artificially created lakes that
are primarily used to generate electricity. One of them is the Steg
reservoir, the largest lake in Liechtenstein.
Despite its mountainous location, the country's climate is relatively
mild. It is strongly influenced by the effect of the foehn (warm, dry
downwind), which extends the growing season in spring and autumn and
temperatures of around 15 °C are not uncommon in winter due to strong
foehn winds. The Swiss and Vorarlberg mountain ranges protect against
Atlantic and polar cold air, creating a typical inner-Alpine protective
location. The principality has a fruit culture with meadows and a long
wine-growing tradition. The small spatial extent of Liechtenstein hardly
plays a role in the climate differences, but the vertical division into
different altitudes is of great importance, so that significant climate
differences arise.
In winter the temperature rarely drops below
minus 15 degrees, while in summer the average temperatures fluctuate
between 20 and 28 degrees. The measurements of the annual rainfall show
an average of around 900 to 1,200 millimeters, while in the direct
Alpine area the rainfall is often up to 1,900 millimeters. The average
duration of sunshine is around 1,600 hours per year.
Due to its natural spatial conditions (see above), the natural
vegetation in the Principality of Liechtenstein is potentially very
differentiated. There is a loss of primary biotopes and biodiversity,
particularly in the intense anthropogenically influenced intensive
landscape of the Alpine Rhine Valley. In addition to intensive,
mechanized agriculture, construction activities in the transport and
settlement areas as well as the regulation and construction of water
bodies for flood protection and drainage lead to the loss of natural
habitat. The landscape becomes uniform with a dominance of
anthropogenically influenced, competitive plant communities in a heavily
disturbed cultural landscape. In the valley area, a large number of
different plant communities occur in mostly small areas. Almost half of
these plant communities are degraded, these are mainly ruderal and
segetal communities. This negative situation decreases with increasing
altitude. Since the end of the World War, neophytes and heat-loving
plant species in the climate-favored valley area have been able to keep
up best with the rapid changes and are increasingly spreading in
biotopes such as litter meadows and reedbeds. The original plant
associations only occur sporadically or in protected areas. This is
particularly true for plant communities in water bodies or wetlands that
suffer from changed hydrological conditions due to river obstructions
and drainage. The number of species on the Red List of endangered plants
is by far the highest in these biotopes. The meager meadow areas are
also becoming fallow land in the mountains and are being used more and
more intensively in the valley areas. The mountain area was largely
spared from industrialization and economic changes. Despite the
anthropogenic changes to the higher areas, semi-extensive to
semi-intensive cultivation contributes to the preservation of
biodiversity. The dangers of desertification and the effects of tourism
in mountain areas are to be rated higher than the dangers of
intensification.
There are forest communities and many other
plant communities.
The main occurrences of forest communities are
in the montane stage. A total of 40 forest communities were described
(the special forms, for example Pulmonario-Fagetum caricetosum albae,
were not counted separately). The height distribution of the forest
communities corresponds to 7% in the valley, 70% in the montane level,
3% in the transition area to the subalpine area and 17.5% in the forest
line zone.
There are 185 vegetation units in forest-free areas in
the Principality of Liechtenstein; they are divided into 22 classes.
These are distributed in different frequencies across the four most
important natural areas: 92 associations and plant communities occur in
the valley area, in the montane level of the Rhine Valley mountain
slopes at altitudes of 500 to 1600 meters there are 30, in the mountains
above 1600 meters there are 37 and on the various bodies of water There
are 27 plant communities.
Floods have always threatened Liechtenstein, especially from the
Rhine. The earliest flooding of the Rhine dates back to 1343. There was
evidence of 48 floods on the Alpine Rhine between the 15th and 19th
centuries. The overexploitation of the Graubünden forests in the 18th
and 19th centuries led to more sediment deposits and a gradual elevation
of the river bed due to increased silt formation and landslides. As a
solution, Switzerland and Liechtenstein concluded a treaty in 1837,
which laid the foundation for today's Rhine protection structures. The
numerous floods of the 19th century brought the impoverished country to
the brink of ruin. The last time the Rhine flooded the valley north of
Schaan was in September 1927.
Despite the looming threat of
destruction from Rüfen, settlements were built in the area of the rubble
cones because the Rhine plain was swampy and subject to regular
flooding. Damage caused by shouting is often recorded, e.g. 1666 and
1817 in Vaduz. After the heavy repairs in the summer of 1854, the first
structures were built. Despite the large investments in the Rüfe
structures, a risk remains, as was shown by a devastating event in
Triesenberg and Triesen in 1995.
The foehn sparked village and
forest fires in the Oberland. Avalanches destroyed nine huts in Malbun
in 1951 and 15 holiday homes in 1999. The number of dangerous areas has
been significantly reduced since the 1970s through construction and
reforestation.
As of December 31, 2022, Liechtenstein had a total of 39,680
inhabitants.
In 2022, population growth was 0.9% (increase of 372
people). The average population density is around 247 people per square
kilometer.
The last child was born in the Liechtenstein State
Hospital in spring 2014. Since April 2014, expectant mothers from
Liechtenstein have had to go abroad for hospital births because the
country's only maternity ward was closed.
There are no reliable figures for the population in what is now
Liechtenstein during the Middle Ages. It was not until 1584 that there
was a first estimate, according to which around 2,500 people lived in
the county of Vaduz and around 1,300 in the Schellenberg estate - i.e.
around 3,800 residents in total.
Although no figures are
available for the period of the Thirty Years' War, it can be assumed
that the population - as in the rest of Central Europe - stagnated or
declined. It then rose sharply until it stagnated again due to a series
of epidemics and food crises between around 1730 and 1760; also during
the Napoleonic Wars of Liberation, where there was even a slight decline
in population after Austrian troops introduced epidemics in 1796. The
population then grew again until 1840, only to stagnate again. However,
population growth at the beginning of the 19th century was so high that
fears of general impoverishment arose, which was politically responded
to with restrictive measures such as marriage restrictions, the success
of which is, however, unknown.
Only at the beginning of the 20th
century did slow growth begin again - interrupted by the departure of
foreign workers during the First World War. After the Second World War,
the population increased rapidly as a result of the economic boom -
primarily due to the influx of foreign workers.
In the early modern period, during the stagnation phases, the death
rate was several times higher than the birth rate. While the birth rate
rose sharply at the end of the 18th century, the death rate declined in
the long term from the beginning of the 19th century due to hygienic and
medical improvements as well as improvements in the food supply.
Epidemics - which have always recurred with a certain regularity
throughout history - now became rarer and, above all, no longer meant
the death of a sick person with such high probability. This can also be
seen in life expectancy, which increased from 29 in the 1830s to 39 in
the early 20th century, 62 in the early 1960s and 76 in 2003.
As
industrialization progressed, the number of children per family
decreased because they were no longer needed to work on the farm and
instead represented a financial burden. Although this trend was briefly
interrupted by the baby boom of the 1940s and 1950s, in the 1960s the
birth rate quickly fell to today's level with the pill break. Various
social factors (such as an increase in single-person households, the
possibility of divorce or strong consumerism) kept the birth rate low
afterwards.
Until the First World War, Liechtenstein was a country of emigration
due to the poor supply situation and its poverty. Salary service for
foreign countries, marriage abroad or entry into foreign monasteries
were common practice early on. From the 18th century onwards, seasonal
work abroad also became more important, only ending with the economic
boom after the Second World War. In order to limit emigration,
emigration restrictions were imposed in 1805, which were completely
lifted in 1848 after previous relaxations. As a destination, North
America was probably just as important as the neighboring countries
Austria and Switzerland, where migration was particularly favored by
free movement agreements (Switzerland) and customs agreements (Austria).
With industrialization, migration patterns changed and foreign
workers and skilled workers came to the country. While the proportion of
foreigners in the population was still 16.2% at the beginning of
industrialization in 1941, it rose to 53.9% by 1970. In order to slow
down this trend, Liechtenstein has been pursuing a very restrictive
immigration policy since 1945, which, however, contradicts international
trade agreements. The principality committed itself to an annual minimum
quota of immigrants both to the EEA states and to Switzerland.
In
2018, 649 people immigrated to Liechtenstein, of whom 26.3% had
Liechtenstein citizenship, 484 people emigrated, including 49.0% with
Liechtenstein citizenship.
In 2019, around two thirds of the residents (66.1%) were Liechtenstein citizens, of whom around 70% have had national citizenship since birth and 30% through naturalization. Almost 60% of the foreign resident population came from the rest of the German-speaking area (28.1% from Switzerland, 17.2% from Austria and 12.7% from Germany), followed by 9.2% from Italy and 5.5% from Portugal. 4.4% of foreigners in Liechtenstein came from Turkey and 23% came from other countries. Overall, Liechtenstein's permanent resident population includes people from around 90 nationalities.
According to Article 37 II of the state constitution, the Roman
Catholic Church is the regional church and as such enjoys the full
protection of the state. However, the separation of church and state is
sought. Since December 20, 2012, every Liechtenstein citizen aged 14 and
over has been able to freely choose their religious belief, even without
the consent of a legal guardian.
According to the results of the
2015 census, 73.4% of Liechtenstein residents were Roman Catholic, 8.2%
were Protestant, and around 5.9% belonged to an Islamic religious
community. 2.3% were members of another Christian denomination or
non-Christian religion, 7% described themselves as non-denominational,
and a further 3.3% of the population did not provide any information
about their religious affiliation.
In a representative survey on
religious affiliation commissioned by the Liechtenstein government in
2008, 78% of domestic and foreign residents stated their religion as
Roman Catholic, 11% were Protestant, around 3% belonged to an Islamic
religious community, and 6% did not provide any information. The
proportion of the population without a religious denomination in
Liechtenstein was 2.8%. The number of Jews in Liechtenstein is around
three dozen people.
Until 1997, Liechtenstein belonged to the
diocese of Chur. On December 2, 1997, the Archdiocese of Vaduz was
established by Pope John Paul II and separated from the Diocese of Chur.
With the establishment of the Archdiocese of Vaduz, the parish church of
St. Florin in Vaduz was elevated to a cathedral church. After the
previous archbishop retired, Feldkirch diocesan bishop Benno Elbs has
been leading the archdiocese of Vaduz as apostolic administrator since
2023.
There are two Protestant churches in the Principality that
are organized as an association: the Evangelical Church in the
Principality of Liechtenstein and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the
Principality of Liechtenstein, as well as a Christian Orthodox church.
According to its constitution, Liechtenstein defines itself as a
“constitutional hereditary monarchy on a democratic-parliamentary
basis”. The democratic-parliamentary basis arises from the legislature
that is elected and voted out by the people and the direct democratic
opportunities for the people to be directly involved in everyday
political life. However, in case of doubt, the constitution gives the
monarch the last word.
According to Article 2 of the
Constitution, state power is “… anchored in the Prince and the people
and is exercised by both in accordance with the provisions of this
Constitution”. In contrast to other European monarchs, the sovereign not
only has representative tasks, but also has extensive powers: as head of
state, he can dissolve, close and adjourn the state parliament, the
popular election of the members of parliament is the responsibility of
the prince's swearing in, the state government is appointed by the state
parliament at the suggestion of the state parliament Princes appointed,
and he can revoke laws passed by parliament and the people based on his
sanction rights. The current head of state of Liechtenstein has been
Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein since 1989. Since August 2004,
Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein has been in charge of state
affairs.
The legislative power lies with the sovereign and the state
parliament of the Principality of Liechtenstein. The state parliament
consists of 25 representatives who are elected by the people for four
years using proportional representation. The people vote in two
constituencies, with 10 representatives being elected in the lower
region and 15 in the upper region. The legislation is defined by the
65th Article of the Constitution. According to this, no laws may be
passed or changed without the participation of the state parliament.
After a law has been passed by the state parliament, it must be
sanctioned by the prince, countersigned by the head of government and
announced in the state law gazette before it finally comes into force.
If a law is not sanctioned by the sovereign within six months, it is
considered rejected.
Two Christian-oriented people's parties play
the main role in Liechtenstein's political landscape, namely the
Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) and the Fatherland Union (VU). They
are in a coalition and form the government. The Progressive Citizens'
Party is more strongly represented in the lower region and is seen as
loyal to the prince, economically liberal and conscious of tradition,
while the Fatherland Union predominates in the upper region and is more
committed to socio-political issues. Apart from that, there are no major
ideological differences between the two major parties.
In the
2017 state elections, the FBP lost 4.8 percent of the vote, the VU
gained 0.2 percent. Nevertheless, the FBP remained the party with the
largest number of votes with a total of 35.2 percent, followed by the VU
with 33.7 percent. The electoral group Die Independents (DU), which
first took part in 2013, was able to gain 18.4 percent of the vote. The
green-alternative Free List (FL) also grew by 1.5 percent. Based on this
result, the FBP received 9 representatives in the state parliament, the
VU 8 representatives, DU 5 representatives and the FL 3 representatives.
In 2018, MP Johannes Kaiser left the FBP parliamentary group and has
been a non-party MP ever since. This reduced the FBP's mandate strength
to 8 seats.
The five-member government provides the executive branch. It consists
of the head of government and four government councilors. Since 2013,
the government has been organized into five ministries (Presidential
Affairs and Finance, Foreign Affairs, Society, Interior and
Infrastructure). The business areas of economy, justice, education,
environment, sport and culture are assigned to the individual
ministries. Each member of the government is the head of a ministry and
is called minister. Daniel Risch (VU) has been the head of government
since March 25, 2021. At the suggestion of the state parliament, the
head of government and government councilors are appointed by the
sovereign. With the controversial constitutional change in 2003, the
sovereign was given the opportunity, with the 80th constitutional
article, to dismiss the government or - with the agreement of the state
parliament - individual government councilors at any time and without
giving reasons.
Sabine Monauni (FBP) sits in the government as
deputy to the head of government. Other government members are Manuel
Frick (FBP), Dominique Hasler (VU) and Graziella Marok-Wachter (VU).
Since the administrative reorganization in 2013, the Liechtenstein
state administration now includes 22 official offices and 12 staff
offices as well as 8 diplomatic missions abroad. Liechtenstein's
statehood results in a large administration in relation to the number of
inhabitants. The largest official offices are the Office for
Construction and Infrastructure, the State Police, the Office for
Justice, the Office for Economic Affairs, the Tax Administration and the
School Office. Financial control and the data protection office are
subordinate to Parliament, and the Financial Market Authority (FMA) is a
supervisory authority that is independent of the administration.
According to Article 1 of the Court Organization Act (GOG), the civil
and criminal judiciary has three instances: the Princely Regional Court,
the Princely Higher Court and the Princely Supreme Court, all of which
are based in Vaduz. The Princely Higher Court and the Princely Supreme
Court decide on a Senate basis, while at the Princely Regional Court, in
accordance with Art. 2 GOG, single judges act in civil and, in most
cases, in criminal matters. Referral to the third instance is sometimes
only possible to a limited extent in civil and criminal cases.
The independent administrative judiciary is exercised by the Princely
Administrative Court, which, in accordance with Article 78 Paragraphs 2
and 3 of the State Administrative Maintenance Act, decides on decisions
of the internal administrative appeal authorities (government or
administrative appeal body) in a Senate composition.
Further
downstream from the ordinary courts is the Liechtenstein State Court, to
which final decisions of the last instance can be appealed using the
extraordinary legal remedy of an individual complaint in accordance with
Article 15 of the State Court Act.
Judge positions in the
Principality of Liechtenstein are publicly advertised for applications.
Suitable candidates are proposed for election to the state parliament by
a committee consisting of the sovereign and equal representation of
representatives of the sovereign and the state parliament, which in turn
recommends the elected judges to the sovereign for appointment (Article
96 of the Liechtenstein Constitution).
There is a strong direct democratic element in the Liechtenstein
system. At least 1,000 citizens can convene the state parliament
(Article 48(2) of the Liechtenstein Constitution), and at least 1,500
can request a referendum on its dissolution (Article 48(3) of the
Liechtenstein Constitution). 1,000 citizens can also submit a request to
the state parliament to enact, amend or repeal a law. Every law is
subject to a referendum if the state parliament decides to do so or at
least 1,000 citizens or comparatively three municipalities request it
(Article 64 of the Liechtenstein Constitution). At least 1,500 citizens
or four municipalities are necessary for constitutional changes or state
treaties. The constitution of March 2003 expanded the direct democratic
rights of the country's citizens in fundamental aspects.
In times
of crisis, the prince can invoke emergency law (Article 10 of the
Liechtenstein Constitution).
On July 1, 1984, Liechtenstein was the last country in Europe to introduce women's voting rights. Women's suffrage was rejected in two referendums in 1971 and 1973. A constitutional amendment passed by the state parliament in 1976 enabled communities to introduce women's suffrage at the local level. The reasons for the late introduction include the country's former rural structure and the associated conservative image of women. Women are still significantly underrepresented in the state parliament and local councils.
Liechtenstein is divided into eleven municipalities, which are
divided into the two constituencies Unterland and Oberland. The
country's political division is due to historical reasons; the lower
country goes back to the Schellenberg rule, the upper country to the
county of Vaduz.
The lowlands include the communities of Eschen,
Gamprin, Mauren, Ruggell and Schellenberg; The Oberland, which is much
larger in terms of area, includes the communities of Balzers, Planken,
Schaan, Triesen, Triesenberg and Vaduz. The autonomy of the
Liechtenstein municipalities is at the top compared to the other
countries in Central Europe, along with Switzerland. Despite their small
size, the communities have complex forms in their territorial extent. In
addition to a main part, seven communities also include one or more
exclaves. The citizens' cooperatives, which occur in around half of
Liechtenstein's municipalities, are the owners of collectively used
forests and pastures as well as parceled areas that are left for private
use.
Constitution
The constitution defines Liechtenstein as a
constitutional hereditary monarchy on a democratic and parliamentary
basis. State power is borne by the prince and the people. The
constitution dates from 1921, guarantees citizens extensive basic rights
for the first time and, based on the Swiss model, brought a significant
expansion of people's rights. The right of sanction enables the prince
to influence legislation. He also has the right of pardon and the right
of abolition.
The European Convention on Human Rights came into
force for Liechtenstein in 1982. The convention supplements the catalog
of fundamental rights in the constitution and has substantive
constitutional status.
Liechtenstein family law is based on the Austrian General Civil Code
(ABGB), which was adopted in 1812 and 1846. After the First World War, a
planned new codification based on the example of the Swiss Civil Code
(ZGB) was not carried out. Family law and inheritance law continue to be
based on the General Civil Code, with certain changes.
Marriage
law underwent a significant change with the Marriage Act of 1974, which
introduced compulsory civil marriage and made divorce possible. The
equality between men and women achieved with the marriage and family law
reform of 1993 was primarily modeled on Austrian law.
The
Property Law (SR), which was adopted from the Swiss Civil Code, came
into force in 1923 as the first part of the planned Liechtenstein Civil
Code. It regulates ownership, possession and the land register.
The Persons and Companies Law (PGR) of 1926 and 1928 was a result of
Liechtenstein's reorientation from Austria to Switzerland after the
First World War. It is based on Swiss law – the Civil Code and the Code
of Obligations (OR). The sections on corporate law largely contain
independent Liechtenstein law with the purpose of attracting foreign
investors. These were key factors in the rise of financial services in
the second half of the 20th century.
The General German
Commercial Code (ADHGB) was adopted in 1865, during Liechtenstein's
membership in the German Confederation. It is still in force today with
restrictions, but large parts have been replaced by the PGR.
The Liechtenstein Penal Code StGB from 1989 is based on the
fundamentally reformed Austrian Penal Code from 1975. The death penalty
was abolished and homosexuality was permitted. Deviating from Austrian
law, the time limit solution for abortion was rejected.
The
Liechtenstein Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO) and the Liechtenstein
Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO) are also based on Austrian law.
The most extensive part of the Liechtenstein legal system is administrative law, which includes commercial administrative law, school law, construction law and traffic law. Some of the areas covered must be continually adapted to rapidly changing circumstances. Liechtenstein administrative law is a mixture of Austrian, Swiss and independent Liechtenstein law.
The entire database of Liechtenstein legislation is available online free of charge on the Liechtenstein Law Collection (LILEX).
In 2017, the state budget of the Principality of Liechtenstein included operating expenses of 789 million Swiss francs, compared to income of 800 million Swiss francs. Including the financial result of 160 million Swiss francs, the state budget ended with a surplus of 170 million Swiss francs. Taking into account the budgets of municipalities and social security funds, there was a surplus of 196 million Swiss francs for the state sector in 2016. This corresponds to 3.2 percent of the gross domestic product. At the end of 2016, the state's net assets were valued at around 7.1 billion Swiss francs, and the gross debt ratio was just 0.4 percent. Due to the good economic and financial data and the forward-looking implementation of international standards, the Principality of Liechtenstein was one of the few states to have its “AAA” rating from Standard & Poor’s repeatedly confirmed.