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59-675: Badenweiler ( High Alemannic : Badewiler ) is a health resort and spa in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district of Baden-Württemberg , Germany , historically in the Markgräflerland . It is 28 kilometers by road and rail from Basel , 10 kilometers from the French border, and 20 kilometers from Mulhouse . The nearest big city on the German side of the border is Freiburg , about 30 kilometers away. Badenweiler lies at

118-519: A tax affair in 2008, but the principality has since made significant efforts to shed this reputation. An Alpine country , Liechtenstein is mountainous, making it a winter sport destination. The oldest traces of human existence in the area of present-day Liechtenstein date back to the Middle Paleolithic era. Neolithic farming settlements appeared in the valleys around 5300 BCE. The Hallstatt and La Tène cultures flourished during

177-455: A "Landesausschuss" (National Committee) made up of the president of the parliament and four additional members. The National Committee is charged with performing functions of parliamentary supervision. Parliament shares the authority to propose new legislation with the Prince, and with the citizenry, as both parliament and the citizenry may initiate referendums. Judicial authority is vested in

236-839: A Nazi sympathy movement arose within its National Union party. Local Liechtenstein Nazis identified Elisabeth as their Jewish "problem". Pro-Nazi agitation remained in Liechtenstein throughout the 1930s, with an attempted coup in March 1939 while Franz Joseph II was on a state visit to Berlin . In March 1938, just after the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany , Franz named as regent his 31-year-old grandnephew and heir-presumptive, Prince Franz Joseph . After making his grandnephew regent he moved to Feldberg, Czechoslovakia and on 25 July, he died while at one of his family's castles, Castle Feldberg, and Franz Joseph formally succeeded him as

295-784: A full member, and since 1995 Liechtenstein has been a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). In 2008, Liechtenstein joined the Schengen/Dublin Agreement together with Switzerland. From an economic and integration policy perspective, relations within the framework of the EEA and the EU occupy a special position in Liechtenstein's foreign policy. The Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein also participates in

354-531: A so-called Dance of the Dead where living and dead meet. Three skeletons are bearing the inscription: "We were what you are, what we are you shall be." This is addressed to three living (a child, a middle-aged man and an old man) whose garments are corresponding to the fashion of the rich in the 14th century. The Russian writer Anton Chekhov died there on 15 July (o.s. 2 July) 1904. From Badenweiler, Chekhov wrote outwardly jovial letters to his sister Masha describing

413-569: A somewhat enigmatic political system, which combines elements of absolute monarchy , representative democracy , and direct democracy . The monarch retains extensive executive and legislative powers, and plays a strong active role in the day to day politics of the country, and over all three branches of government —the only European monarch to have retained such a role. Representative democracy and direct democracy coexist in that an elected parliament enacts legislation , and voters can propose and enact laws and constitutional amendments independently of

472-463: Is Europe's fourth-smallest country , with an area of just over 160 square kilometres (62 square miles) and a population of 40,023. It is the world's smallest country to border two countries, and is one of the few countries with no debt. Liechtenstein is divided into 11 municipalities . Its capital is Vaduz , and its largest municipality is Schaan . It is a member of the United Nations ,

531-579: Is a Kurhaus and a park of 15 acres (61,000 m²) containing a historic arboretum (the Staatliche Baderverwaltung Badenweiler ), as well as a grand-ducal castle. In 1784, the well-preserved Roman baths  [ de ] were discovered there. The site where the present Protestant St. Paul's church is standing is a historic site that was a religious place of worship already in Roman times. The Romans built here in

590-732: Is also spoken in the southern Sundgau region beyond the Upper Rhine , which is part of Alsace , France . In Vorarlberg in Western Austria , a form of High Alemannic is spoken around the Rheintal as well. High Alemannic is traditionally subdivided in an Eastern and Western language area ( Sprachraum ), marked by the Brünig-Napf-Reuss line across the cantons of Aargau and Lucerne ( Luzern ). Eastern High Alemannic includes Zurich German , Lucerne German, and

649-600: Is one of the few countries in Europe (along with Monaco and San Marino ) not to have a tax treaty with the United States , and efforts towards one seem to have stalled. As of September 2019 the Prince of Liechtenstein is the world's sixth wealthiest monarch , with an estimated wealth of US$ 3.5 billion. The country's population enjoys one of the world's highest standards of living . Liechtenstein has

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708-662: The Reichstag . Even though several Liechtenstein princes served several Habsburg rulers as close advisers, without any territory held directly from the Imperial throne, they held little power in the Holy Roman Empire. For this reason, the family sought to acquire lands that would be classed as unmittelbar , or held without any intermediate feudal tenure, directly from the Holy Roman Emperor . During

767-708: The Alemanni , a Germanic people who later settled in the area around 450. In the Early Middle Ages , the Alemanni settled the eastern Swiss plateau by the 5th century and the valleys of the Alps by the end of the 8th century, with Liechtenstein located at the eastern edge of Alamannia . In the 6th century the entire region became part of the Frankish Empire following Clovis I 's victory over

826-756: The Confederation of the Rhine was founded, the Prince of Liechtenstein was a member, in fact a vassal, of its hegemon , styled protector , the French Emperor Napoleon I, until the dissolution of the confederation on 19 October 1813. Soon afterward, Liechtenstein joined the German Confederation (20 June 1815 – 23 August 1866), which was presided over by the Emperor of Austria . In 1818, Prince Johann I granted

885-430: The Confederation of the Rhine . This political restructuring had broad consequences for Liechtenstein: the historical imperial, legal, and political institutions had been dissolved. The state ceased to owe an obligation to any feudal lord beyond its borders. Modern publications generally attribute Liechtenstein's sovereignty to these events. Its prince ceased to owe an obligation to any suzerain . From 25 July 1806, when

944-690: The Customs Treaty with Switzerland of 1923. Liechtenstein maintains direct diplomatic missions in Vienna , Bern, Berlin, Brussels, Strasbourg, and Washington, D.C. , as well as Permanent Missions in New York and Geneva to the United Nations . Currently, diplomatic missions from 78 countries are accredited to Liechtenstein, but mostly reside in Bern. The Embassy in Brussels coordinates contacts with

1003-736: The European Free Trade Association , and the Council of Europe . It is not a member state of the European Union , but it participates in both the Schengen Area and the European Economic Area . It has a customs union and a monetary union with Switzerland, with its usage of the Swiss franc . Politically, a constitutional referendum in 2003 granted the monarch greater powers, after he threatened to leave

1062-626: The Holy Roman Empire , around 1000. Until about 1100, the predominant language of the area was Romansch , but thereafter German began to gain ground in the territory. In 1300, another Alemannic population—the Walsers , who originated in Valais —entered the region and settled; the mountain village of Triesenberg today preserves features of the Walser dialect . By 1200, dominions across

1121-527: The Holy Roman Empire . By the early 19th century, as a result of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, the Holy Roman Empire came under the effective control of France, following the crushing defeat at Austerlitz by Napoleon in 1805. In 1806, Emperor Francis II abdicated and dissolved the Holy Roman Empire , ending more than 960 years of feudal government. Napoleon reorganized much of the Empire into

1180-785: The International Court of Justice ) included over 1,600 km (618 sq mi) of agricultural and forest land (most notably the UNESCO listed Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape ), and several family castles and palaces. In 2005, a government-commissioned investigation revealed that Jewish slave labourers from the Strasshof concentration camp , provided by the SS , had worked on estates in Austria owned by Liechtenstein's Princely House. The report indicated that though no evidence

1239-643: The Principality of Liechtenstein (German: Fürstentum Liechtenstein , [ˈfʏʁstn̩tuːm ˈlɪçtn̩ˌʃtaɪ̯n] ), is a doubly landlocked German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps , between Austria in the east and north and Switzerland in the west and south. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy headed by the prince of Liechtenstein of the House of Liechtenstein , currently led by Hans-Adam II . It

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1298-582: The 13th century, and again from 1807 onwards. The Liechtensteins acquired land, predominantly in Moravia , Lower Austria , Silesia , and Styria . As these territories were all held in feudal tenure from more senior feudal lords, particularly various branches of the Habsburgs , the Liechtenstein dynasty was unable to meet a primary requirement to qualify for a seat in the Imperial Diet (parliament),

1357-743: The 2010 tax year. In addition, Liechtenstein regards Germany as an important partner in safeguarding its interests in European integration. At the cultural level, project sponsorship plays a particularly important role. For example, the Hilti Foundation financed the exhibition "Egypt's Sunken Treasures" in Berlin, and the state donated 20,000 euros following the fire at the Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar . Liechtenstein

1416-421: The 25-seat legislature. Parliament proposes and approves a government, which the Prince formally appoints. Parliament may also pass votes of no confidence in the entire government or individual members. The government comprises the head of government ( prime minister ) and four government councillors (ministers), who are appointed by the Prince upon the proposal of parliament and with its concurrence, and reflect

1475-511: The Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504. The area that later became Liechtenstein remained under Frankish hegemony ( Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) until the Treaty of Verdun divided the Carolingian empire in 843, following the death of Charlemagne in 814. The territory of present-day Liechtenstein formed part of East Francia . It would later be reunified with Middle Francia under

1534-779: The Alpine plateau were controlled by the Houses of Savoy , Zähringer , Habsburg , and Kyburg . Other regions were accorded the Imperial immediacy that granted the empire direct control over the mountain passes. When the Kyburg dynasty fell in 1264, the Habsburgs under King Rudolph I , the Holy Roman Emperor in 1273, extended their territory to the eastern Alpine plateau that included the territory of Liechtenstein. This region

1593-723: The Constitution of 1921. Important historical stages in Liechtenstein's integration and cooperation policy were its accession to the Confederation of the Rhine in 1806, to the German Confederation in 1815, the conclusion of bilateral customs and currency agreements with the Habsburg monarchy in 1852, and finally the Customs Treaty with Switzerland in 1923, which was followed by a range of other important bilateral treaties. Post-war economic reconstruction

1652-706: The Czech Republic on 13 July 2009, and with Slovakia on 9 December 2009. On 20 September 1990, Liechtenstein was admitted into the United Nations as 160th member state. As a member of the United Nations General Assembly , the microstate is one of the few not to play a prominent role in UN-specialized agencies . Liechtenstein was in dire financial straits following the end of World War II. The Liechtenstein dynasty often resorted to selling family artistic treasures, including

1711-740: The European Union, Belgium, and also the Holy See . For a long time, diplomatic relations with Germany were maintained through a non-resident ambassador; that is, a contact person who was not permanently resident in Germany. Since 2002, however, Liechtenstein has had a permanent ambassador in Berlin, while the German embassy in Switzerland is also responsible for the Principality. Liechtenstein's Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers

1770-563: The European standard of democracy. Legislative authority is vested in the unicameral Landtag , made up of 25 members elected for maximum four-year terms according to a proportional representation formula. Fifteen members are elected from the Oberland (Upper Country or region) and ten from the Unterland (Lower Country or region). Parties must receive at least 8% of the national vote to win seats in parliament, i.e., enough for two seats in

1829-579: The Habsburg territories, and spent much of their time at their two palaces in Vienna. Johann II appointed Carl von In der Maur , an Austrian aristocrat, to serve as the Governor of Liechtenstein . The economic devastation caused by World War I forced the country to conclude a customs and monetary union with its other neighbour Switzerland . In addition, popular unrest caused from economic devastation in

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1888-617: The Nazi "Pan German" dream of uniting all German-speakers in the Reich would have also included the population of Liechtenstein. However, the Nazis eventually gave up implementing this plan, and Liechtenstein was spared from enduring a Nazi occupation. At the close of the conflict, Czechoslovakia and Poland , acting to seize what they considered German possessions, expropriated all of the Liechtenstein dynasty's properties in those three regions. The expropriations (subject to modern legal dispute at

1947-461: The Prince of Liechtenstein. During World War II , Liechtenstein remained officially neutral, looking to neighbouring Switzerland for assistance and guidance, while family treasures from dynastic lands and possessions in Bohemia , Moravia , and Silesia were taken to Liechtenstein for safekeeping. Operation Tannenbaum , the Nazi plan for conquest of Switzerland, also included Liechtenstein, and

2006-1182: The Regional Court at Vaduz, the Princely High Court of Appeal at Vaduz, the Princely Supreme Court, the Administrative Court, and the State Court. The State Court rules on the conformity of laws with the constitution and has five members elected by parliament. The principality is largely conservative . On 1 July 1984, Liechtenstein became the last country in Europe to grant women the right to vote, following three previous referendums which rejected it in 1968 , 1971 and 1973 . The referendum on women's suffrage that year, in which only men were allowed to participate, narrowly passed with 51.3% in favour. In 2024, Liechtenstein passed same-sex marriage legislation, which would be legalised in 2025. Abortion remains criminalised within Liechtenstein. In

2065-578: The absence of political or military power, Liechtenstein has sought to preserve its sovereignty over the past 300 years through membership in legal communities. International cooperation and European integration are therefore constants of Liechtenstein's foreign policy, aimed at continuing to safeguard the country's sovereignty as recognized under international law. Decisive for the domestic legitimacy and sustainability of this foreign policy were and are strong direct-democratic and citizen-oriented decision-making mechanisms, which are anchored in Liechtenstein in

2124-536: The annual meetings of the heads of state of the German-speaking countries (consisting of EU and non-EU members). Relations with Switzerland are particularly extensive because of the close cooperation in many areas; Switzerland performs tasks in some places that would be difficult for the Principality to handle on its own because of its small size. Since 2000, Switzerland has appointed an ambassador to Liechtenstein, but he resides in Bern. Liechtenstein's consular representation has been mostly handled by Switzerland since

2183-404: The balance of parties in parliament. The constitution stipulates that at least two government members be chosen from each of the two regions. The members of the government are collectively and individually responsible to parliament; parliament may ask the Prince to remove an individual minister or the entire government, or the Prince may do so unilaterally. Parliament elects from among its members

2242-490: The contacts to be extremely fruitful and important for the country's development, especially on the economic level. Conflicts over the handling of banking and tax data have repeatedly strained relations with Germany. On 2 September 2009, Liechtenstein and Germany signed an agreement on cooperation and the exchange of information in tax matters. The text of the agreement followed the OECD model agreement and provides for an exchange of information on tax matters upon request as of

2301-413: The country should the referendum fail. These powers include being able to dismiss the government, nominate judges and veto legislation. Economically, Liechtenstein has one of the highest gross domestic products per person in the world when adjusted for purchasing power parity . The country has a strong financial sector centred in Vaduz. It was once known as a billionaire tax haven , culminating in

2360-662: The dialects of Eastern Switzerland . Western High Alemannic includes Bernese German , the German dialects of Solothurn and Fribourg, as well as most dialects of Aargau and the northern parts of the canton of Lucerne. The distinctive feature of the High Alemannic dialects is the completion of the High German consonant shift , for instance chalt [xalt] 'cold' vs. Low Alemannic and standard German 'kalt' [kʰalt] . Liechtenstein in Europe  (agate grey)  –  [ Legend ] Liechtenstein ( / ˈ l ɪ k t ən s t aɪ n / LIK -tən-styne ; German: [ˈlɪçtn̩ʃtaɪn] ), officially

2419-453: The early 17th century, Karl I of Liechtenstein was made a Fürst (prince) by the Holy Roman Emperor Matthias after siding with him in a political battle. Hans-Adam I was allowed to purchase the minuscule Herrschaft ('Lordship') of Schellenberg and the county of Vaduz (in 1699 and 1712, respectively) from the Hohenems. Tiny Schellenberg and Vaduz had exactly the political status required: no feudal superior ( suzerain ) other than

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2478-443: The emperor. On 23 January 1719, after the lands had been purchased, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor , decreed that Vaduz and Schellenberg were united and elevated the newly formed territory to the dignity of Reichsfürstentum ( imperial principality ) with the name "Liechtenstein" in honour of "[his] true servant, Anton Florian of Liechtenstein ". On this date, Liechtenstein became a mostly-sovereign immediate member state of

2537-402: The entire Alpine area. Liechtenstein then became integrated into the Roman province of Raetia . The area was garrisoned by the Roman army , which maintained large legionary camps at Brigantium (Bregenz, Austria), near Lake Constance , and at Magia (Maienfeld, Switzerland). The Romans built and maintained a road which ran through the territory. Around 260 CE Brigantium was destroyed by

2596-463: The food and surroundings. Badenweiler became one of Chekhov's hometown Taganrog 's sister cities in 2002. The American poet, novelist, and journalist Stephen Crane died there on 15 June 1900 of tuberculosis. Ephraim Moses Lilien (1874–1925) was an art nouveau illustrator and print-maker particularly noted for his art on Jewish and Zionist themes. He is sometimes called the "first Zionist artist." The musicologist Wolfgang Alexander Thomas-San-Galli

2655-432: The late Iron Age , from around 450 BCE—possibly under some influence of both the Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups in the Alpine region were the Helvetii . In 58 BCE, at the Battle of Bibracte , Julius Caesar defeated the Alpine tribes, thereby bringing the region under Roman subjugation. By 15 BCE, Tiberius —later the second Roman emperor—with his brother, Drusus , conquered

2714-418: The legislature. However, as with laws passed by the legislature, these can be vetoed by the monarch. The reigning Prince is the head of state and represents Liechtenstein in its international relations (although Switzerland has taken responsibility for much of Liechtenstein's diplomatic relations). The current Constitution of Liechtenstein was adopted in March 2003 , amending the 1921 constitution, giving

2773-401: The portrait Ginevra de' Benci by Leonardo da Vinci , which was purchased by the National Gallery of Art of the United States in 1967 for US$ 5 million ($ 46 million in 2023 dollars), then a record price for a painting. By the late 1970s, Liechtenstein used its low corporate tax rates to draw many companies and became one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Liechtenstein

2832-447: The prince extensive veto powers, and the ability to dismiss the government and rule by emergency decree, and maintaining the prince's active role in the legislative process. The BBC characterizes Liechtenstein post-2003 as "in effect" an " absolute monarchy ". Just prior to the referendum, the Venice commission of the Council of Europe published a comprehensive report analysing the amendments, opining that they were not compatible with

2891-445: The same doctor there who had treated both Chekhov and the famous Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem . High Alemannic German The High Alemannic dialects are spoken in Liechtenstein and in most of German-speaking Switzerland ( Swiss Plateau ), except for the Highest Alemannic dialects in the Swiss Alps and for the Low Alemannic ( Basel German ) dialect in the North West. Therefore, High Alemannic must not be confused with

2950-407: The term " Swiss German ", which refers to all Alemannic dialects of Switzerland as opposed to Swiss variant of Standard German , the literary language of diglossic German-speaking Switzerland. In Germany , High Alemannic dialects are spoken in Southern Baden-Württemberg , i.e. the Markgräflerland and in the adjacent area south of Freiburg im Breisgau up to the Black Forest ( Schönau ). It

3009-474: The territory a limited constitution. In that same year Prince Aloys became the first member of the House of Liechtenstein to set foot in the principality that bore their name. The next visit would not occur until 1842. Developments during the 19th century included: Until the end of World War I , Liechtenstein was closely tied first to the Austrian Empire and later to Austria-Hungary ; the ruling princes continued to derive much of their wealth from estates in

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3068-421: The war directly led to the November 1918 Liechtenstein putsch , which created the process of a new constitution based on constitutional monarchy being introduced in 1921. In 1929, 75-year-old Prince Franz I succeeded to the throne. He had just married Elisabeth von Gutmann , a wealthy woman from Vienna whose father was a Jewish businessman from Moravia. Although Liechtenstein had no official Nazi party ,

3127-550: The western edge of the Black Forest . It is sheltered by the Blauen, 1,164 m (3,820 ft), and the climate is excellent. Its parish (Evangelical) church (1897) was built at the foot of an 11th-century castle which belonged to the margraves of Baden and was destroyed by the French during the wars of Louis XV . Many visitors come to Badenweiler for the warm mineral springs, with temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F), others for its whey cure, and still others on account of its equable climate and picturesque surroundings. There

3186-407: The year AD 145 a large podium temple of which very little remains. The temple stood on a "pile structure". The temple builders drove sharpened oak piles into the loamy soil to secure the ground for this heavy building. The temple was Gallo-Roman with a classic-Italic main front placed on a monumental podium. On the ruins of the Roman temple a Christian church was built in the twelfth century. The church

3245-411: Was enfeoffed to the Counts of Hohenems until the sale to the Liechtenstein dynasty in 1699. In 1396, Vaduz , the southern region of Liechtenstein, gained imperial immediacy , i.e. it became subject to the Holy Roman Emperor alone. The family from which the principality takes its name originally came from Liechtenstein Castle in Lower Austria, which they had possessed since at least 1140 until

3304-437: Was born in Badenweiler in 1875. The wife of the first prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru , Kamala Nehru was treated here for tuberculosis. Jawaharlal Nehru spent many days by his wife's side in Badenweiler to attend to her. The Yiddish poet and memoirist Daniel Charney was treated there for tuberculosis. He claims to have stayed in the same room in Badenweiler that Chekhov died in. He also describes being treated by

3363-405: Was followed by accession to the Statute of the International Court of Justice in 1950, Liechtenstein signed the CSCE Helsinki Final Act (today's OSCE) together with 34 other states in 1975, Liechtenstein joined the Council of Europe in 1978, and Liechtenstein was admitted to the United Nations (UN) on September 18, 1990. In 1991, Liechtenstein joined the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as

3422-426: Was found of the House's knowledge of the slave labour, the House bore responsibility. Citizens of Liechtenstein were forbidden to enter Czechoslovakia during the Cold War . The diplomatic conflict revolving around the controversial postwar Beneš decrees resulted in Liechtenstein not having international relations with the Czech Republic or Slovakia . Diplomatic relations were established between Liechtenstein and

3481-408: Was in a bad state when it was demolished in 1892 and rebuilt as a Neo-Romanesque building between 1893 and 1898. In the course of the digging Roman walls and wall fragments of preceding church buildings were discovered and included in the construction of the new church. In the previous church's tower six 14th-century frescoes were discovered which are now in the choir of the present church. They show

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