There a mentions of Liechtenstein as a part of the ancient Roman province of Raetia, although it had a small role to play in Roman history. This rather minor role continued as it remained in a geographically insignificant part of Europe whilst Empires rose and well to the East and the West. The Liechtenstein dynasty, gave its name to the small principality, and in turn the family takes its name from the Castle Liechtenstein which is actually a log way away in lower Austria. For many years this important family gathered large amounts of land in places such as Silesia, Lower Austria and Moravia. However they only kept this land in fief under more powerful feudal lords. Because they didn’t own any land directly they were not granted a seat at the heart of the then powerful Habsburg Empire, something which they greatly desired.

Eventually they managed to purchase the minuscule Herrschaft of Schellenberg and countship of Vaduz (in 1699 and 1712 respectively) from the Hohenems, and this finally gave them the status they needed to increase their political influence, after Charels VI, Holy Roman Emperor, decreed that Vaduz and Schellenberg were to be united and raised up to be a principality, with the name Liechtenstein, in 1719 – thus marking the birth date of this tiny country. Interestingly, a Princess of Liechtenstein did not ever enter the new principality for 120 years.

End of an Empire

Napoleon invaded the Holy Roman Empire, and it crumbled, consequently Liechtenstein ceased to have any obligations beyond its small borders, thus cementing its position as an independent country, albeit a subjugated one. In the nineteenth century there were many advances in Liechtenstein, such as in 1836 when a ceramics factory was opened and in 1868, when a bridge was built over the Rhine. During the Austro-Prussian war, Prussia accused Liechtenstein after the war of causing the conflict by miscounting the votes in favour of Austria going to war. Thus, Prussia did not offer a peace treaty with Liechtenstein and remained at war (though without conflict), which was later used as a reason for invasion in the 1930s. Indeed the country remained closely tied to Austro-Hungary Empire until is dissolution in the 1930s.

Liechtenstein remained neutral throughout the Second World War, but immediately afterwards the Liechtenstein dynasty's hereditary lands in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia were seized by the countries in which they lay. These claims are currently subject of a modern day challenge in the World Court, as they include agricultural and forest land as well as castles and palaces. Directly after the war Liechtenstein granted asylum to a collaborationist Russian force within the German Wehrmacht as they did not want to sent them to the USSR where they feared they would die in gulags, and this added to the extreme dire financial straights the country found itself in. Thus, many of the family’s treasures were sold to museums, galleries and other wealthy families around the world. The country then remodelled itself as a low tax country after the war, attracting many businesses which vastly increased the wealth of both the prince and to a lesser extent the people of the country, who now enjoy one of the best standards of living in the world.