Vaduz (German pronunciation: [faˈdʊt͡s] or [faˈduːt͡s] ,[2] High Alemannic pronunciation: [faˈdot͡s])[3] is the capital of Liechtenstein and also the seat of the national parliament. The city, which is located along the Rhine, has 5,696 residents.[1] The most prominent landmark of Vaduz is Vaduz Castle, perched atop a steep hill overlooking the city. It is home to the reigning prince of Liechtenstein and the Liechtenstein princely family. The city's distinctive architecture is also displayed in landmarks such as the Cathedral of St. Florin, Government House, City Hall, the National Art Gallery, as well as the National Museum. Although Vaduz is the best-known town in the principality internationally, it is not the largest; neighbouring Schaan has a larger population.

Vaduz
Panoramic, Government building, Castle of Vaduz, Tre Cavalli (literally Three Horses) sculpture, Rotes Haus (literally Red House), Cathedral of St. Florin, Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts, House of Parliament
Flag of Vaduz
Coat of arms of Vaduz
Location of Vaduz
Map
Vaduz and its exclaves in Liechtenstein
Vaduz and its exclaves in Liechtenstein
Coordinates: 47°08′28″N 9°31′16″E / 47.141°N 9.521°E / 47.141; 9.521
Country Liechtenstein
Electoral districtOberland
VillagesEbenholz, Mühleholz
Government
 • MayorFlorian Meier
Area
 • Total17.28 km2 (6.67 sq mi)
Elevation
455 m (1,493 ft)
Population
 (31-12-2019)[1]
 • Total5,696
 • Density330/km2 (850/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
9490
Area code7001
ISO 3166 codeLI-11
Websitewww.vaduz.li
View of Vaduz from space
Panoramic view of Vaduz

Etymology

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The name Vaduz had been first recorded as de Faduzes. The name of the settlement, like most other towns in the Rhine Valley region, is of Romance origin. The name can be traced back to Old Rhaeto-Romance root auadutg 'aqueduct', which in turn evolved from the Latin aquaeductus.[3]

History

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Vaduz is mentioned in historic 12th-century manuscripts as Faduzes. In 1322 a mention of the castle is made, which was sacked by the Swiss in 1499 during the Swabian War. The entire city was also destroyed.[4]

In the 17th century the Liechtenstein family was seeking a seat in the Imperial diet, the Reichstag. However, since they did not hold any territory that was directly under the Imperial throne, they were unable to meet the primary requirement to qualify.[5]

The family yearned for the added power a seat in the Imperial government would bring, and therefore sought to acquire lands that would be reichsunmittelbar, or held directly from the Holy Roman Emperor himself, without any intermediate feudal patronage. After some time, the family was able to arrange the purchase of the minuscule Herrschaft ("Lordship") of Schellenberg and the countship of Vaduz (in 1699 and 1712, respectively) from the Hohenems. Tiny Schellenberg and Vaduz possessed exactly the political status required: no feudal lord other than the Emperor.[citation needed]

Thereby, on 23 January 1719, after the purchase had been duly made, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, decreed Vaduz and Schellenberg were united, and raised to the dignity of Fürstentum (principality) with the name "Liechtenstein" in honour of "[his] true servant, Anton Florian of Liechtenstein". It is on this date that Liechtenstein became a sovereign member state of the Holy Roman Empire. As testimony to the pure political expediency of the purchases, the Princes of Liechtenstein did not set foot in their new principality for over 120 years.[citation needed]

Administration

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Vaduz is locally administered by the mayor and a 12-person municipal council, elected every four years since 1975.[6] The incumbent mayor is Florian Meier, elected in the 2024 Vaduz by-election.[7]

List of mayors (1864–present)

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List of mayors (1864–present)
Name Term Party Ref(s)
Alois Rheinberger 1864–1870
Josef Amann 1870–1873
Felix Real 1873–1876
Alois Rheinberger 1876–1879
Josef Amann 1879–1885
Meinrad Ospelt 1885–1888
Alois Rheinberger 1888–1894
Reinold Amann 1894–1897
Adolf Real 1897–1900
Alois Seeger 1900–1903
Adolf Real 1903–1909
Franz Wachter 1909–1912
Adolf Real 1912–1916
Gustav Ospelt 1916–1921 FBP
Josef Gassner 1921–1927
Bernhard Risch 1927–1930
Ludwig Ospelt 1930–1933
Bernhard Risch 1933–1936
Ludwig Ospelt 1936–1942
David Strub 1942–1966
Meinrad Ospelt 1966–1972
Hilmar Ospelt 1972–1980
Arthur Konrad 1980–1995
Karlheinz Ospelt 1995–2007 VU
Ewald Ospelt 2007–2019 FBP
Manfred Bischof 2019–2023
Petra Miescher 2023–2024 VU
Florian Meier 2024 FBP

Geography

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Climate

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Vaduz features an oceanic climate with warm summers and chilly winters. Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as Marine West Coast Climate (Cfb).[9] The city experiences a noticeable increase in precipitation during the summer, but in general all twelve months see some precipitation. Vaduz receives, on average, approximately 900 mm (35 in) of precipitation per year. Vaduz's warmest month, July, sees average high temperatures reach 25 °C (77 °F) while average low temperatures are about 14 °C (57 °F). The city's coldest month, January, sees average highs of 3 °C (37 °F) and average lows of −3 °C (27 °F).

Climate data for Vaduz (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1973-present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 20.0
(68.0)
21.7
(71.1)
24.6
(76.3)
28.7
(83.7)
33.2
(91.8)
35.2
(95.4)
35.8
(96.4)
36.0
(96.8)
33.0
(91.4)
29.0
(84.2)
23.6
(74.5)
22.2
(72.0)
36.0
(96.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 5.0
(41.0)
6.8
(44.2)
11.8
(53.2)
16.0
(60.8)
20.1
(68.2)
23.2
(73.8)
24.9
(76.8)
24.3
(75.7)
20.0
(68.0)
15.7
(60.3)
9.5
(49.1)
5.5
(41.9)
15.2
(59.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 1.4
(34.5)
2.7
(36.9)
6.8
(44.2)
10.7
(51.3)
14.7
(58.5)
17.9
(64.2)
19.4
(66.9)
19.1
(66.4)
15.0
(59.0)
11.1
(52.0)
5.7
(42.3)
2.2
(36.0)
10.6
(51.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −2.0
(28.4)
−1.1
(30.0)
2.3
(36.1)
5.6
(42.1)
9.7
(49.5)
13.0
(55.4)
14.6
(58.3)
14.6
(58.3)
10.8
(51.4)
6.9
(44.4)
2.2
(36.0)
−1.1
(30.0)
6.3
(43.3)
Record low °C (°F) −20.3
(−4.5)
−17.2
(1.0)
−12.9
(8.8)
−5.0
(23.0)
−1.0
(30.2)
3.4
(38.1)
5.0
(41.0)
5.0
(41.0)
0.0
(32.0)
−5.3
(22.5)
−11.2
(11.8)
−16.0
(3.2)
−20.3
(−4.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 41
(1.6)
34
(1.3)
54
(2.1)
57
(2.2)
90
(3.5)
116
(4.6)
130
(5.1)
144
(5.7)
96
(3.8)
68
(2.7)
56
(2.2)
54
(2.1)
940
(37.0)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 14
(5.5)
14
(5.5)
6
(2.4)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
5
(2.0)
12
(4.7)
51
(20)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 7.4 6.6 9.0 8.9 11.8 12.9 13.2 13.3 10.1 8.7 8.7 8.7 119.3
Average snowy days 3.9 3.9 2.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.4 3.3 14.8
Average relative humidity (%) 75 69 66 63 67 70 71 74 76 76 77 77 72
Mean monthly sunshine hours 72 92 131 156 168 181 197 183 147 114 67 53 1,563
Percent possible sunshine 40 44 47 49 46 48 52 54 52 48 36 34 47
Source 1: MeteoSwiss (snow 1981–2010)[10][11]
Source 2: NOAA (extremes)[12]

Main sights

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Vaduz Castle is the home of the reigning prince of Liechtenstein and the Liechtenstein princely family. The castle is visible from almost any location in Vaduz, being perched atop a steep hill in the middle of the city. The Cathedral of St. Florin, Government House and City Hall display the various styles and periods of architecture in the city.

 
Formal gardens in central Vaduz
 
Cathedral of St. Florin
 
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein

Demographics

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As of 2019, 5,696 people lived in Vaduz.[1] Foreigners resident in the city make up 42% of the population.[13] With 67% the population is predominantly Roman Catholic, while the percentage of Catholics is significantly higher among residents with Liechtenstein nationality (81%) than among foreigner residents (47%). The largest minority religions in the city are Protestantism (10%) and Islam (8%).[14]

Religion in Vaduz - 2015[14]
religion percent
Roman Catholicism
67%
Protestantism
10%
Other Christians
3%
Islam
8%
Others/undeclared
4%
Non-religious
9%
Note: Percentage is more than 100 due to rounding.

Culture

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The National Art Gallery as well as the National Museum are located in Vaduz. The art gallery (Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein) is a museum of modern and contemporary art, and also shows displays from the private princely Liechtenstein Collection, the main public display of which is in Vienna. The building is an architectural landmark built by the Swiss architects Morger, Degelo and Kerez. It was completed in November 2000 and forms a "black box" of tinted concrete and black basalt stone. The museum collection is also the national art collection of Liechtenstein. The Liechtenstein National Museum is showing a permanent exhibition on the cultural and natural history of Liechtenstein as well as special exhibitions. There are also the Postage Stamp Museum and a Ski Museum. Vaduz has a kind of folksong that has been greatly influenced by Switzerland, known as Köpugeäng.

Economy and transport

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Vaduz has a lively tourist industry, despite being one of the very few capital cities in the world without an airport – the nearest major airport is that of Zürich, at a distance of 120 km (75 mi).

There are frequent bus connections between Vaduz and nearby mainline railway stations, including Buchs, Sargans and Feldkirch, operated by Liechtenstein Bus.

Schaan-Vaduz is one of the four train stations serving Liechtenstein. It is located in the town of Schaan, about 2 km north of Vaduz. It is owned by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). The station is served by eighteen regional, stopping trains per day, nine in each direction between Switzerland and Austria. It is on the international and electrified Feldkirch-Buchs line, between Buchs SG station (in Switzerland) and the Forst Hilti station (in the northern suburb of Schaan).

Education

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Vaduz has two primary schools: Äule Primary School, near the Vaduzer-Saal;[15] and Ebenholz Primary School,[16] near the University of Liechtenstein, which is also located in the city. Both schools have the same secretariat and administration.[15] The school assignments of children are largely determined by their street addresses.[16] There are four kindergarten sites, of the Kindergarten Bartlegrosch, in Vaduz.[17]

Realschule Vaduz and Oberschule Vaduz are in the Schulzentrum Mühleholz II in Vaduz. Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium is also located in Vaduz. Realschule Schaan and Sportschule Liechtenstein are in nearby Schaan.[18]

Notable people

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Prince Franz Josef II
 
Marlies Amann-Marxer, 2013
 
Aurelia Frick, 2017

Footballers

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Ronny Büchel, 2009
 
Sandro Wieser, 2015

Other athletes

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Tina Weirather, 2017

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Bevölkerungsstatistik: Vorläufige Ergebnisse 31. Dezember 2019" (PDF). Llv.li. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  2. ^ Duden Aussprachewörterbuch (in German) (6 ed.). Mannheim: Bibliographisches Institut & F.A. Brockhaus AG. 2006.
  3. ^ a b Hans Stricker, Toni Banzer, Herbert Hilbe: Liechtensteiner Namenbuch. Die Orts- und Flurnamen des Fürstentums Liechtenstein. Band 2: Die Namen der Gemeinden Triesenberg, Vaduz, Schaan. Hrsg. vom Historischen Verein für das Fürstentum Liechtenstein. Vaduz 1999, S. 430–435.
  4. ^ "Vaduz | Liechtenstein, Map, & History | Britannica".
  5. ^ "441ImperialPrimer".
  6. ^ Mayr, Ulrike; Sele, Patrick (31 December 2011). "Vaduz (Gemeinde)". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  7. ^ Sele, David (25 August 2024). "Vaduz hat einen neuen Bürgermeister". Liechtensteiner Vaterland. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  8. ^ Mayr, Ulrike; Quaderer, Rupert; Frommelt, Fabian (31 December 2011). "Schaan". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  9. ^ Weatherbase climate summary accessed 12 August 2013.
  10. ^ "Climate normals Vaduz (Reference period 1991−2020)". Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, MeteoSwiss. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Climate normals Vaduz (Reference period 1981−2010)" (PDF). Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, MeteoSwiss. 13 January 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Global Surface Summary of the Day - GSOD". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Bevölkerungsstatistik: Vorläufige Ergebnisse 31. Dezember 2018" (PDF). Llv.li. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Tabellen Volkszählung 2015 - Bevölkerungsstruktur Band 1" (XLS). Llv.li. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  15. ^ a b "Äule Primary School Archived 13 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine." Commune of Vaduz. Retrieved on May 12, 2016. "Giessenstr. 11 9490 Vaduz"
  16. ^ a b "Ebenholz Primary School Archived 13 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine." Commune of Vaduz. Retrieved on May 12, 2016. "Fürst-Franz-Josef-Strasse 38 9490 Vaduz"
  17. ^ "Kindergarten Archived 13 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine." Commune of Vaduz. Retrieved on May 12, 2016. "Kindergarten Bartlegrosch Bartlegroschstrasse 31 9490 Vaduz " and "Schwefelstrasse 15 9490 Vaduz" and "Schimmelgasse 13 9490 Vaduz" and "Weiherweg 15 9490 Vaduz"
  18. ^ "Weiterführende Schulen Schaan." Commune of Schaan. Retrieved on May 12, 2016. "Realschule Schaan Duxgass 55 9494 Schaan" and "Sportschule Liechtenstein Duxgass 55 9494 Schaan" and "Realschule Vaduz Schulzentrum Mühleholz II 9490 Vaduz" and "Oberschule Vaduz Schulzentrum Mühleholz II 9490 Vaduz"
  19. ^ "Biedermann, Gisela". Historical Encyclopedia of the Principality of Liechtenstein (in German). 19 September 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  20. ^ Medea de Novara at IMDb. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  21. ^ Otten, Joseph (1912). "Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 13.
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