Liechtenstein and the Habsburg Empire
November 29, 2024
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Nestled between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein had a special relationship with the Habsburg Empire. It was not part of it, but its rulers lived in Vienna from 1719 until 1938. In the 19th century the principality adopted many Austrian laws, introduced the Austro-Hungarian Gulden as its official currency and signed a customs treaty with the Empire. We asked Fabian Frommelt, Historian at the Liechtenstein Institute, to tell us more about these relations.
The Principality of Liechtenstein (or the County of Vaduz and the Lordship of Schellenberg before 1719) was never under Habsburg rule. It was an imperial estate («Reichsstand») of the Holy Roman Empire until 1806, and even though the Roman Emperor was almost always a member of the Habsburg family, that doesn’t mean being under Habsburg rule. However, close political and military relations with Habsburg have been established by treaties of alliance and defence in 1505 and 1531. With the end of the Empire in 1806, Liechtenstein became a small but sovereign state. From 1815 until 1866 it was a member of the German Federation (Deutscher Bund).
The only part of today’s Liechtenstein territory which was in fact under the rule of the House of Habsburg was from 1314 to 1824 the Gutenberg Castle in Balzers with 7 associated farms. They formed a Habsburg exclave – a rather small area, in which the rights of jurisdiction and taxes were controversial with the Counts of Vaduz/Princes of Liechtenstein. Furthermore, from 1814 to 1874 the Habsburg possessed the parish of Bendern.
Apart from the Emperor-Vassal relationship within the Holy Roman Empire, the Counts of Vaduz and the Princes of Liechtenstein were loyal Habsburg supporters. They were at times in administrative, military or diplomatic service to them. Furthermore, in the later 19th century the Prince of Liechtenstein was a member of the Austrian parliament’s House of Lords («Herrenhaus»), due to his extensive land ownership in the Habsburg monarchy. The Liechtensteins also entered into family relationships with the Habsburgs. Well-known is the marriage in 1903 between Alois von Liechtenstein and Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie, the niece of the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef. Alois and Elisabeth Amalie became the parents of the Reigning Prince Franz Josef II von Liechtenstein (1906-1989), the father of the present Prince, Hans-Adam II.
The bilateral relations between the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Austrian Empire became increasingly close: Liechtenstein adopted some Austrian laws (but, of course, not all), and in 1852 the two countries signed a Customs treaty by which Liechtenstein became a part of the Austrian customs area. Moreover, from 1859 onwards the Austrian Gulden was the legal currency in Liechtenstein (in 1898/1901 it was replaced by the Austrian Krone), and from 1880 onwards Austria provided Liechtenstein’s diplomatic representation abroad. So it was a close relationship – but all these treaties and agreements could be cancelled, which Liechtenstein did in fact in 1919 after World War I. Some years later Liechtenstein entered in a similar relationship with Switzerland.
I think that the best physical representation of these historical relations is the above mentioned Gutenberg Castle, which fell into ruin in the 18th and 19th centuries but was romantically rebuilt between 1905 and 1912. Furthermore, the Princely family of Liechtenstein itself, which belonged to the Habsburg court and clientele over centuries and lived in Vienna until 1938, represents this old tradition of close Austrian-Liechtenstein relations.
It seems to me that people’s awareness of these historical ties is rather weak. Of course, people appreciate good relations with our neighbour-state Austria (and especially with the nearby Austrian region of Vorarlberg). But in general, everybody is content that Liechtenstein changed its bilateral partner from Austria to Switzerland more than 100 years ago. Historians recognize the important role of the Princely family and their relations to the Habsburg Emperors when the County of Vaduz and the Lordship of Schellenberg were united and raised to the Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein by Emperor Charles VI in 1719. They also emphasize the close relation to Austria(-Hungary) in the 19th century, the Customs treaty of 1852 being an important factor for Liechtenstein’s industrialisation.
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