Liechtenstein - the pearl in the Alpine necklace
Liechtenstein, ranked sixth in the list of the smallest countries in the world, nestled between the Rhine (western border) and the Alps. The Principality is located in the spurs of the Retikon ridge (Rhaetian Alps), not as mountainous as Austria and Switzerland: the highest point is Mount Grauspitz (2.599 m). The climate is temperate, precipitation is 700-1200 mm per year, in winter there are heavy snowfalls and frosts, but the summer is warm, the temperature reaches 28 degrees. C. A quarter of the territory is covered with forests (spruce, beech, oak), in the mountains - alpine and subalpine meadows. The length from north to south is 28 km, from east to west - 10 km, the area of the country is 160 km; Administratively, the territory of Liechtenstein is divided into two historical districts - Upper Liechtenstein (Oberland) with the center in the city of Vaduz and Lower Liechtenstein (Underland) with the center in the city of Schellenberg. Districts are made up of communities (communes). There are 11 communes in the Principality.
We paid this tiny "exotic" state, lost in the Alps, a brief visit on the way from Switzerland to Austria. The country is conveniently located between these Alpine countries and has experienced the influence of neighbors throughout its history.
First, we stopped at the capital of the principality, the city of Vaduz. We are welcomed from the mountain by Vaduz Castle, built in the 12th century, since 1938 - the residence of the prince, closed to the public.
The guide introduces us to the history of this small state. The state of Liechtenstein was formed in 1719. Prior to that, within the Duchy of Swabia, on the territory of present-day Liechtenstein, there were the feudal possessions of Schellenberg and Vaduz, which later became part of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1507 Emperor Maximilian granted Vaduz special rights and privileges, including sovereignty and tax collection. These rights were transferred to the Austrian Liechtenstein family.
The Liechtenstein family really wanted to get a seat in the Reichstag of the Holy Roman Empire. To do this, he had to own lands, the suzerain of which would be the emperor himself. For the sake of this, Hans-Adam I purchased from the impoverished owners of Hohenems two tiny fiefs on the border with Switzerland - Schellenberg (in 1699) and Vaduz (in 1712). These lands had the necessary legal status. Thanks to the assistance of Eugene of Savoy (who was the matchmaker of Liechtenstein), in 1719 the emperor recognized the head of the family, Anton Florian, as a prince of sovereign dignity. Thus the Principality of Liechtenstein was born.
From 1815 to 1866, Liechtenstein was part of the German Confederation, and in 1860 the Liechtensteins became hereditary members of the upper house of the Austrian parliament, and in 1866, under Johann II of Liechtenstein (1840-1929), the principality gained independence. In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Liechtenstein acted as an ally of Austria, in 1868, after the collapse of the German Confederation, Liechtenstein disbanded his army of 80 men and declared his permanent neutrality, which was honored during both world wars and until is still one of the few states in the world that does not have armed forces. Law enforcement is carried out by a police force consisting of 120 people - 83 employees and 37 representatives of civilian personnel. From 1876 to 1918 he had close ties with Austria-Hungary.
After the First World War, Liechtenstein terminated the agreement with Austria, which had weakened as a result of the defeat, and refocused on Switzerland: in 1921 an agreement on trade and postal service was signed, and in 1924 a customs union was concluded. Since then, Liechtenstein's currency has been the Swiss franc. Since 1919, Switzerland has represented the diplomatic and consular interests of Liechtenstein abroad.
The population of Liechtenstein on January 1.2009 was 35.360 people, with an average population density of about 220 people per km² . The ancestors of this people were the tribes of Rets and Germans (Alemans). Most of the inhabitants are Liechtensteiners (Alemans). The official language is German, in everyday life - the Alemannic dialect of the German language. The majority of believers (76%) profess Catholicism, Protestants - about 7% of the population. Average life expectancy: men - 76.6 years, women - 83.5 years (2009). GDP per capita - $ 141.000.
We begin our acquaintance with the square near the Town Hall. Nearby there is a sculptural composition of three horses, on the opposite side there is a bench under a tree, next to which there is a national flag, against which we take pictures together.
Nearby is a souvenir shop, which we also attack, buying up local souvenirs, mainly fridge magnets and sets of postage stamps (almost 1/10 of the country's income comes from the sale of postage stamps). To our pleasant surprise, the sellers understand and speak Russian a little.
Perhaps this is due to our former compatriot, and now a citizen of Liechtenstein, Baron Falz-Fein, the nephew of the founder of our Askania-Nova reserve.
A well-known philanthropist, Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein, (born September 14.1912 in the village of Gavrilovka, Kherson province, Russian Empire) is a public figure in Liechtenstein. He is a descendant of two well-known families in Russian history - the Yepanchins (on the maternal side) and the Faltz-Feins. He devoted his whole life to collecting works of art that were taken out of Russia during the revolution and civil war in order to return them to their homeland. Thanks to his efforts, the country regained many priceless treasures. Among them, in particular, the most valuable Persian carpet, presented to Emperor Nicholas II, on which portraits of all members of the royal family are woven. Falz-Fein maintains close ties with his compatriots. In recent years, he has been a freelance correspondent for the ITAR-TASS agency in Liechtenstein. On the day of his 95th birthday, in his residence "Askania Nova" he was awarded the Russian Pushkin medal for his great contribution to the rapprochement and mutual enrichment of the cultures of nations and nationalities.
He was only five when his family in “the same shirts” forever left their family estate in southern Russia. He became the king of souvenirs in the Principality of Liechtenstein and spent most of his income on the maintenance of abandoned Russian graves abroad, on the return of lost treasures to Russia and the restoration of Orthodox churches. In the neighborhood of the medieval princely castle in Liechtenstein, a villa is buried in greenery with noble coats of arms on the wrought iron gates. Tourists from his former homeland come here without any invitation, and the baron willingly lets guests in.
Outside the windows of the main dining room there is a panorama of the Alpine mountains, and inside there are Russian paintings, busts of tsars, golden candelabra with double-headed eagles. A clear example of how you can live comfortably all your life in a prosperous country, and in your heart yearn for your homeland.
We walk along the main street of the capital, we pass by the post office, from here you can send a postcard with the Liechtenstein stamp, which is appreciated by philatelists.
The city is beautiful, there are many flowers in it, surrounded by mountains buried in greenery.
Next to the old buildings are modern facilities.
The houses of the capital's residents look well-groomed and well-appointed.
We take a last look at the capital city.
We drive to the Austrian border past the well-groomed vineyards and fields of a tiny country, its small towns.
Liechtenstein is a prosperous industrial country with a developed financial services sector and a high standard of living (GDP of Liechtenstein in 2007 amounted to $ 4.16 billion, GDP per capita - $ 118 thousand (1st place in the world). Become a citizen of such a prosperous country is almost impossible, because citizenship cannot be bought. Even being the wife (husband) of a citizen of Liechtenstein and having lived for many years in it, you will not receive citizenship - only joint children born here can become citizens.
Despite its centuries-old history, Liechtenstein gives the impression of a very modern state. It is a prosperous industrial country with a developed financial services sector and a high standard of living. The main branch of the economy is the manufacturing industry: metalworking, precision instrumentation, optics, production of vacuum equipment, electronic systems, microprocessors. The basis of the industry is precision engineering and instrumentation. The largest companies are "Hilti AG" (mounting, small-sized construction equipment with autonomous power supply) and "Balzers AG" (ultra-deep vacuum technology for the optical, microelectronic and microprocessor industries). The industry is almost entirely export-oriented. A significant place is occupied by the food industry (in particular, the production of canned food and wine), the textile, ceramics and pharmaceutical industries. The country fully provides jobs for its citizens, and another 3.5 thousand people come to it every day to work from Austria, Germany, Switzerland.
We leave the Principality, ahead of Feldkirch - the "gateway to Liechtenstein" on the Austrian side of the border.
