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
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.
Etymology
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
Latinaquaeductus.[3]
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 without any feudal personage other than the
Holy Roman Emperor himself having rights on the land. After some time, the family was able to arrange the purchase of the minuscule
Herrschaft ("Lordship") ofSchellenberg and
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 a testament 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]
Geography
Climate
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).[6] 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 (35.43 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)
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.
Demographics
As of 2019, 5,696 people lived in Vaduz.[1] Foreigners resident in the city make up 42% of the population.[10]
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%).[11]
Note: Percentage is more than 100 due to rounding.
Culture
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, also showing 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.
Economy and transport
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).
Vaduz has no railway station as such and is not directly served by a railway line.
Schaan-Vaduz is one of the four train stations serving
Liechtenstein. It is located in the town of Schaan, a couple of kilometres 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 situated on the international and electrified
Feldkirch-Buchs line, between the station of in
Buchs SG (in Switzerland) and the stop of
Forst Hilti (in the northern suburb of Schaan).
Education
Vaduz has two primary schools, Äule Primary School, near the Vaduzer-Saal;[12] and Ebenholz Primary School,[13] near the
University of Liechtenstein, which is also located in the city. Both schools have the same secretariat and administration.[12] The school assignments of children are largely determined by their street addresses.[13] There are four kindergarten sites, of the Kindergarten Bartlegrosch, in Vaduz.[14]
Barbara Erni (1743–1785) thief and confidence trickster, the last person to be executed in Liechtenstein
Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1906–1989 in Grabs), the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein from 1938 until his death; lived full-time in the principality
Aurelia Frick (born 1975) a Liechtenstein politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Culture.
^
abHans 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.
^"
KindergartenArchived 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"
^"
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"
^"Biedermann, Gisela". Historical Encyclopedia of the Principality of Liechtenstein (in German). 19 September 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2023.