oho #3 - The magazine of the Principality of Liechtenstein

oho 

The magazine of 

the Principality of Liechtenstein 

#3 2016/17 

State/Princely House 

Business/Education 

Food/Culture 

Environment/Leisure 

Interview with Hereditary 

Princess Sophie 

Cross-border 

cooperation 

Exquisite organic 

products 

Combining sport 

and relaxation

For more flexibility 

in your 

process flow. 

kyberna.com

«hoi metanand» 

Bridges create encounters 

On the following pages we present the latest issue of the 

Liechtenstein magazine “oho” – an issue that addresses the 

special topic of good neighbourly relations. 

Particularly because this topic applies to so many aspects 

of our lives, the focus has deliberately been placed on the 

people in the country, along with their commitment and 

dedication. We discussed the setting of our cover shot at 

great length, before choosing an image of the Old Rhine 

Bridge – on account of its powerful symbolism. The 

135-metre wooden bridge, which links the Liechtenstein 

capital Vaduz with the Municipality of Sevelen in the 

Canton of St. Gallen, is the oldest existing wooden Rhine 

Bridge in the Alpine region. Customs offices were stationed 

at each end of the bridge right up to the signing of the 

Customs Treaty in the year 1923. Today the Rhine Bridge is 

a historical witness of the shared past of the two countries, 

and exemplifies their deep links. Building bridges brings 

people together, facilitates encounters and makes 

friendships possible. Each and every one of us will have 

similar tales to tell. Cross the bridge and marvel at the 

many facets of the Principality of Liechtenstein. It is well 

worthwhile. I wish you a fascinating read. 

Concentrating on what brings us together 

From 13 to 23 October St. Gallen will be firmly in 

Liechtenstein’s hands: the Principality is presenting itself 

as guest of honour at the 74 th OLMA trade fair under the 

motto of the traditional dialect greeting “hoi metanand”. 

Following the years 1952, 1964, 1979 and 1993, the year 

2016 is the fifth time that Liechtenstein will be taking 

part in the OLMA as guest of honour. An ideal opportunity 

to showcase the positive and long-standing relationship 

between Liechtenstein and Switzerland. It is not 

differences that will be highlighted, but instead the things 

we have in common. We want to awaken emotions in the 

visitors, and make unexpected experiences possible. This 

is the key to retaining good and heartfelt memories. 

It gives me great pleasure that the present issue of the 

Liechtenstein magazine “oho” – dovetailing neatly with 

Liechtenstein’s OLMA appearance – is dedicated to the 

topic of good neighbourly relations. These are essential 

preconditions for the economic success of our region. It is 

in all of our interests to nurture and to reinforce these 

good relations with our neighbouring countries, thus 

enabling Liechtenstein to continue exercising its role as a 

likeable and reliable partner. 

Ernst Risch 

Managing Director Liechtenstein Marketing 

Publisher 

Marlies Amann-Marxer 

Minister for Infrastructure 

and the Environment as well as Sport 

3

oho#3 



Interview with Hereditary Princess Sophie 6 

Customs Treaty with Switzerland 12 

Cross-border police operations 14 

View from Vienna 16 

International commuters 18 

Construction technology company Hilti 22 

ThyssenKrupp Presta 23 

Dual training system 25 

Young entrepreneur with good ideas 28 

The Intamin rollercoaster 30 

Made in Liechtenstein 33 

4

Food/Culture 


Innovative farmer 34 

Donkey Festival in Malbun 38 

Top events 2016/2017 40 

Walser architecture 43 

Cultural moments 45 

Neighbourhood culture 46 

Author with tremendous visions 48 

JUFA Hotel Malbun Alpin Resort 50 

Fine accommodation and gastronomy 51 

Chef with consuming passion 52 

"Käsknöpfle" to make your heart melt 54 

Mountain and valley adventures 56 

Princely hiking tour 58 

Five-castle cycling tour 59 

The spider specialist 62 

Lift worker with VIP factor 64 

Ski star Tina Weirather 68 

Football legend Mario Frick 72 

Liechtenstein in a nutshell 74 

5


“I admire 

Liechtenstein’s 

inventive spirit” 

It is 22 years since Her Royal Highness Hereditary Princess Sophie and His 

Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Alois exchanged their eternal marriage 

vows. 22 years during which the Duchess bore four children, became 

involved in social activities and won over the hearts and minds of the 

population. In this interview, the Bavarian-born Duchess speaks about her 

life and her commitment to creating a better world. Listening in to the 

conversation: her loyal companion, dachshund Tipsy. 

Interview: Niki Eder · Photos: Roland Korner 

Royal Highness, you grew up in Bavaria, went to 

school and studied there. After so many years 

living in Liechtenstein, do you still feel Bavarian, 

or have you become a true-blue Liechtensteiner? 

H.R.H. Hereditary Princess Sophie of 

Liechtenstein: Bavaria will always be part of me, 

naturally. But over the years, Liechtenstein has 

increasingly taken over. 

With your busy schedule, do you still find the 

time to visit family and friends in Bavaria? 

I make an effort to nurture contact with my 

relations, of course – and with a family as big as 

mine, this is a major undertaking. Regrettably, due 

to time constraints, I have not been able to keep in 

touch with my old school friends. 

Do you converse with your parents and siblings in 

Bavarian dialect? 

My mother comes from Sweden, and for this reason 

alone we never spoke Bavarian at home. So I can 

entirely understand when my children say to me 

today: “Please don’t talk Liechtenstein dialect, 

Mama. It sounds terrible.” This is exactly what we 

used to say to our mother. 

Have you been able to preserve any Bavarian 

traditions at Vaduz Castle? 

No typical Bavarian traditions spring to mind. But 

we do sometimes like eating Bavarian weisswurst, 

or roast pork. We are fond of drinking beer, 

although we are also partial to a good wine. 

And what do you most like about your new home 

country? 

There are many aspects. During the first three years 

of our marriage, my husband and I lived in London, 

where it is perfectly normal for men to work 

until late in the night. After this period, I particularly 

valued being able to live in Liechtenstein, where a 

6


7

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8



greater emphasis is placed upon family life. I also like 

being able to leave the house and finding myself directly 

in the natural environment. I love the mountains. I enjoy 

the mild climate and even the foehn wind, at least when 

it’s not blowing too strongly. And not least, of course, I am 

very fond of the people in Liechtenstein. 

What precisely do you value about the population of 

Liechtenstein? 

They are very no-nonsense, open and uncomplicated. And 

I admire their efficiency and their inventive spirit. The 

latter is really impressive. I always mention this when I 

am confronted abroad with the popular misconception 

that Liechtenstein only has banks. 

If you had to recommend a place of interest in 

Liechtenstein to tourists, that they really shouldn’t 

miss, what would it be? 

Steg and Malbun are certainly worth a visit. Steg is also 

very interesting in terms of settlement history. For those 

who are not afraid of heights, I also recommend the 

Fürstensteig Trail. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to 

walk the Trail myself. 

No longer able? 

I went on the Fürstensteig Trail only on one occasion. But 

when I looked down I realised that I really should avoid it 

in future. Since then, I personally prefer circular hiking 

trails such as the Princess Gina Path. 

support women who find themselves in difficult 

situations. This means we also address topics such as 

miscarriage, burdens or stress during pregnancy. In 

addition, there is great demand for the clarification of 

social law aspects. The sexual education centre love.li 

holds approx. 200 seminars per annum, and has proven 

very popular. 

The pregnancy advice centre schwanger.li maintains 

offices in Schaan, Buchs as well as Feldkirch. Why did 

you decide to open offices in all three countries? 

We opened the first psychosocial advice centres in Schaan 

and in Feldkirch. The reason for this is that I felt women 

would find it easier to contact us if our bureaus were also 

located in neighbouring countries. Otherwise there is 

always a risk that they might bump into neighbours. For 

Liechtenstein citizens, Feldkirch simply offers greater 

anonymity. The advice centre in Buchs was added a few 

years later. 

How many women contact the advice centres per 

annum? 

About 700 women and couples from the region came to us 

for advice last year. This also includes individuals with an 

immigration background, as well as a small number of 

female refugees. Depending upon the particular 

circumstances, we also provide women with financial 

support. 

At the beginning of 2006, you founded the Sophie of 

Liechtenstein Foundation for Women and Children, 

which aims to offer women who become 

unintentionally pregnant a positive perspective for 

themselves and for their children. What moved you to 

get involved in this project? 

During my time in London, it became clear to me how 

simple and carefree my life really is. I had a great deal of 

contact with cosmopolitan women, and we often discussed 

the situation for pregnant women, as well as the 

differences between our various countries. On the basis of 

these discussions, I began to reflect upon the challenges 

facing all those women who do not live in such easy 

circumstances – those women who live alone or struggle 

with financial worries. It was these thoughts that 

eventually prompted me to set up the Foundation. 

The Foundation supports the pregnancy advice centre 

schwanger.li. What sort of problems does this aim to 

address? 

Initially, the Foundation concentrated on conflicts 

associated with pregnancy. Over the years, however, our 

field of support has become much broader. Essentially, we 

9


The Sophie of Liechtenstein Foundation is not your 

only social commitment. In May 2015, you took over 

the Chair of the Liechtenstein Red Cross (LRC) from 

Princess Marie. Three generations of Princely women 

have now been in charge of this organisation. What 

have been your most impressive experiences to date? 

There have already been a number of memorable 

occasions. The work at the Red Cross is very intensive, 

but also above all very rewarding and positive. For 

example, the charitable organisation Charitas contacted 

us last autumn with a proposal to make a joint appeal for 

donations for Syria – a plan to which we were pleased to 

agree. The positive reaction and generosity of the 

Liechtenstein population was amazing. I was also very 

impressed by the 32 nd International Red Cross and Red 

Crescent Conference in Geneva, in which 190 national 

organisations took part. An excellent opportunity to make 

useful contacts and to discuss future collaboration. For 

example, a joint project organised by small European 

states will address the construction of earthquake-proof 

housing in Nepal. 

What issue are you personally most keen to address in 

your capacity as Chair of the LRC? 

I very much hope we will be able to “rejuvenate” the Red 

Cross a little, and to raise its profile. 

The LRC runs inter alia the Children’s Home in Schaan, 

which aims to provide above all children from the 

poorest regions of Eastern Europe with a few days of 

carefree fun and adventure. Do you also visit the 

children in person? 

There are always two scheduled events in the calendar. 

The children are invited by Princess Marie to visit Vaduz 

Castle. And then on another occasion I visit them at the 

Gamander Children’s Home, where we sit around and chat. 

There are very moving moments, as well as very amusing 

moments – for example when they ask me if I have to wear 

a crown, being a hereditary princess. (chuckles) 

Does intensive contact with poverty and the suffering 

of other people change one’s view of one’s own life? 

I have always been very conscious of such issues. Even 

amongst my own relatives, there are individuals who lost 

everything from one day to the next. This certainly 

makes one think. It begins with the little things of 

everyday life. For example, I always enjoy the fact that we 

do not have to share our bathroom with ten other people. 

And it is a tremendous luxury being able to drink out of 

the tap. Like other people, I often ask myself whether I 

really need something, or not. I get a bad conscience when 

I buy too much, and have to throw food away. It is 

completely against my principles to waste things. 

Furthermore, need to bear in mind: it should never be 

taken for granted that we live in a country in which a 

woman can go strolling in the forest on her own, without 

fear. This sense of security means quality of life. 

You are fond of animals, and are the patron of the 

Liechtenstein Animal Welfare Association. A few 

months ago, a dachshund puppy joined your family, 

and accompanied you to this interview. Has Tipsy 

turned the castle on its head? 

Tipsy has of course brought new life into the family. But, 

fortunately, she is a very decorous hound. Admittedly, we 

had to take certain “security measures”. For example, 

dachshunds are not supposed to run up and down stairs; 

it’s bad for their backs. So she is often carried around, 

which she enjoys enormously. Tipsy was part of a 

dachshund litter born to my sister’s dog. In fact, we never 

actually wanted a dog ourselves. But at the end of the day, 

I simply couldn’t resist. 

Tipsy has now become your constant companion? 

Tipsy accompanies me, whenever possible – including 

during the holidays. I really enjoy her company. A friend 

of mine once said to me, in jest: “The last child always 

wears fur” … there’s something in that. (laughs) 

Let us turn to a different subject altogether. As a 

descendant of the Stuarts, you are seen by Jacobites as 

a pretender to the British throne. The last time a 

member of that lineage claimed the throne was in the 

18 th century – so no one is really expecting you to assert 

your birthright. Or do you have a surprise up your 

sleeve? 

This story was never something we discussed at home, 

and until I travelled to London with my school class, I had 

not even heard about it. An acquaintance of my English 

teacher once said to me: “But you’re a Stuart.” And I just 

thought: what is he talking about? When I got back home, 

I asked my parents. They found the whole thing hilarious, 

and then explained the background to me. I can therefore 

assure you, I shall not be asserting a claim to the British 

throne. 

You are a Duchess, while your husband is a Hereditary 

Prince. This means you have a higher rank than your 

consort. Did the title play a role when you first became 

acquainted? 

Not at all. The Noble House of Liechtenstein does not 

define what ranks its members are permitted to marry. 

While there are indeed certain rules for the Noble House 

of Bavaria, these do not apply to female descendants. 

10


You are now the mother of four children. Many people 

believe that aristocratic children grow up in a castle 

completely differently to “normal citizens”. Is the dayto-day 

family life of the Princely Family really so 

different? 

Our children are growing up essentially the same way as 

all other children in Liechtenstein. They attend school, 

are able to invite their friends back to the castle, and can 

visit them in their own homes too. There is no special 

status. 

Your son Prince Wenzel is the heir to Liechtenstein’s 

throne. Did your son’s preparation for his future role 

entail a special education, even as a child? 

As a child, Wenzel had exactly the same education as his 

siblings. We often discuss politics and history in our 

family, however. Wenzel is now aged 21, and is studying 

law. When he is in Liechtenstein he spends a great deal of 

time with his father, who informs him about certain 

matters and responsibilities. This means he is gradually 

growing into his future role. 

What values would you like to pass on to your 

children? 

For me, faith is very important. I hope that we exemplify 

this through our own lives, and convey this to our 

children accordingly. This gives rise to other values such 

as decency, honesty as well as social awareness. In my 

view, one of the greatest challenges when it comes to 

children’s education is the need to impart a sense of 

modest restraint, the ability to delay gratifications. We 

live in an age in which wishes are proverbially satisfied at 

the click of a mouse. A book or a song is just one click 

away – right around the clock. Yet being able to wait for 

something is very important. 

What sort of books do you like to read? 

All genres, from history, through politics and religion to 

travelogues – although I have to confess I do not much 

like travelling myself. 

You don’t like travelling? That is an unusual thing to 

say. 

I find travelling stressful. When we are on the road with 

the family, there are so many things I need to think about 

and so much to organise. Unpacking – packing. Things 

are much more relaxed at home. The one exception is my 

parents’ holiday house in Portugal; I like going there. But 

that doesn’t really have anything to do with travel, in the 

strictest sense. It is more a change of location, as I feel 

completely at home there too. 

Do you have an undeclared wish you would like to fulfil 

one day? 

At the moment, to be perfectly honest, I am happy just the 

way things are. Maybe this is because I am by nature not 

inclined to worry about “what if…” scenarios. Now is the 

time to get things done. And I find my social 

responsibilities very fulfilling. 

And what would you like your children to say about 

you, one day? 

I hope that my children will say that their mother was 

always there for them, and had an open ear for their 

worries and concerns. 

How does a Hereditary Princess relax after performing 

social duties and meeting her responsibilities as a 

mother? 

I like to recharge my batteries in the countryside, or by 

reading. At the moment, thanks to Tipsy, walks are very 

much the order of the day. Perhaps that was one of the 

reasons we got the dog. For until recently, it had become 

increasingly difficult to find the time to go on walks. 

Now I actually have to go out. There are no more 

excuses. 

11


Testimony to 

a deep friendship 

Following the upheavals of the First World War, 

Liechtenstein had to reinvent itself in various 

ways. The Principality turned away from Austria 

in order to enter into a customs union with 

Switzerland. By signing the Customs Treaty 

of 1923, Liechtenstein laid the foundations for 

its economic boom in the following decades. 

Text: Stefan Lenherr 

Liechtenstein currently has very close bonds with 

Switzerland. Originally, however, the principality 

maintained close bonds with the then Austrian Empire. 

A customs treaty signed in the year 1852 opened up 

new prospects for the impoverished agrarian country. 

The outbreak of the First World War plunged the 

partnership into a deep crisis, though. The 

Liechtenstein historian Rupert Quaderer-Vogt has 

explored the events of the period in detail, and has 

recorded his findings in the three-volume work 

“Bewegte Zeiten in Liechtenstein 1914 bis 1926” 

[Eventful Times in Liechtenstein 1914 to 1926”]. “This 

was a turning-point in Liechtenstein’s history”, he says. 

In view of the shortages of food and fuel – at times, the 

absence of coal supplies meant it was not even possible 

to heat the government building in Vaduz – unrest 

amongst the population became increasingly vocal. Not 

least, the money in their pockets also plummeted in 

value. The military defeat of Austria-Hungary and the 

subsequent cost of the defeat caused the value of the 

Austrian crown – the official tender in Liechtenstein – 

to collapse. “Popular calls for the country to turn away 

from Austria became ever louder,” says Quaderer-Vogt. 

In August 1919 Liechtenstein then dissolved the 

customs treaty with Austria. 

The Customs Treaty was signed on 29 March 1923 by Federal 

Councillor Giuseppe Motta and the Princely Liechtenstein 

Representative in Switzerland, Emil Beck, and came into force on 

1 January 1924. The preamble to the Customs Treaty states that the 

agreement was being reached inter alia in order to “reinforce and 

intensify the existing amicable relations between Switzerland and 

the Principality of Liechtenstein.” (Source: Office of Culture, 

National Archive) 

12


The photo shows a hyperinflation bank note with a face value of 500,000 

crowns from the year 1922 (Source: Austro-Hungarian Bank) 

What next? 

“Liechtenstein needed a new partner with a healthy economy and 

a stable currency”, says Quaderer-Vogt. In view of the dire straits 

in which it found itself, Liechtenstein entered into discrete 

negotiations with its western neighbour. Neutral Switzerland had 

been spared the ravages of war, and had a healthy currency. 

Nevertheless, the advances made by the little neighbour were not 

universally welcomed. “Towards the end of the war, as well as 

thereafter, huge volumes of goods were being smuggled in 

Liechtenstein,” explains Quaderer-Vogt. Some commentators in 

Switzerland warned against entering into a customs union with 

“these corrupt people”. There was also very little support for this 

in the immediate neighbourhood, the municipalities across the 

River Rhine. Fortunately, however, Liechtenstein had a highprofile 

backer in the form of the Swiss Federal Councillor in the 

Foreign Policy Department, Giuseppe Motta. “Just for once, 

Switzerland was the bigger state able to show generosity 

towards a small state. This was one of the reasons used 

by Motta to argue that Switzerland should do what it 

could to support its impoverished neighbour,” 

explains Rupert Quaderer-Vogt. The Customs 

Treaty came into force on 1 January 1924. The 

preamble states that the Treaty had been 

concluded in order “to reinforce and intensify 

the existing amicable relations between 

Switzerland and the Principality of 

Liechtenstein.” 

Interview 

Tariff Commission described how the introduction of the Swiss 

franc had been explained to him in Liechtenstein: “One morning 

the smith in Balzers told his customers, local farmers, that he 

would only sharpen their tools if they paid for this service in 

Swiss francs. The population refused to do this, one whole day 

long. So the smith told them he would wait for his customers 

outdoors, under the old pear tree. The next day they came to him 

and said that they had decided to agree to his demand. But 

subject to the condition that he also paid for their products using 

Swiss francs. This is what then happened, and within a very 

short time the arrangement had spread right across the country. 

It was the government that was slow on the uptake.” The franc 

became the official means of payment in Liechtenstein on 26 May 

1924, the day on which the “Introduction of the Franc Currency 

Act” became law. 

Economic upturn 

Following the difficult years during and after the First World 

War, hope began to flourish in Liechtenstein once again thanks to 

the partnership established with Switzerland. The economy 

gradually began to recover. The economic miracle that has 

resulted in today’s prosperous Liechtenstein became established 

only after the Second World War, however. “The bedrock of 

today’s prosperity is certainly the hard work and business 

acumen of the population,” declares Quaderer-Vogt. “It would be a 

mistake to think, though, that Liechtenstein would have been 

able to achieve this economic upturn if it had been left entirely to 

its own devices. We have had the great good fortune that other 

countries – first and foremost Switzerland – are favourably 

disposed towards us.” 

In this interview, the Liechtenstein 

historian Rupert Quaderer-Vogt 

explains how Liechtenstein 

changed direction after the end 

of the First World War, and 

increasingly turned towards 

Switzerland. 

www.liechtenstein.li/ 

customstreaty 

Photo: Liechtenstein Institute 

Introduction of the Swiss franc 

By this time, the people of Liechtenstein had already begun to 

take matters into their own hands. While discussions were still 

raging on the political stage about the introduction of an 

independent national currency, the population itself had already 

effectively adopted the Swiss franc. In his book, Quaderer-Vogt 

illustrates the development with an anecdote. 

During a debate conducted by the Swiss National Council on the 

Customs Treaty with Liechtenstein, the President of the Customs 

The Liechtenstein historian Rupert Quaderer-Vogt ist the author of the 

three-volume work “Bewegte Zeiten in Liechtenstein 1914 bis 1926“ 

(“Eventful Times in Liechtenstein 1914 to 1926“) 

13


Cross-border 

police operations 

Why Liechtenstein’s National Police relies on close cooperation 

with neighbouring countries. Text: Silke Knöbl 

Networking is important – even for Liechtenstein’s 

National police. It places great emphasis on the 

exchange of information and cooperation with 

foreign police authorities. The National Police 

maintains particularly close links with its 

counterparts in Switzerland and Austria. 

Valuable synergies 

This cross-border cooperation is governed by a 

police cooperation agreement. “We always weigh 

up whether it would be better to build up our own 

capacities, or to cooperate with neighbouring 

states,” says Jules Hoch, Head of Liechtenstein’s 

National Police. A good example is criminal 

forensics: in the event of thefts or burglaries, the 

National Police collects evidence at the scene of the 

crime. It then draws upon the expertise of the 

Swiss Police to evaluate the evidence that has been 

gathered. “It wouldn’t make sense for us to set up 

our own specialist laboratories,” says Hoch. 

In return, the National Police takes part in foreign 

deployments. “We are members of the Eastern 

Switzerland Police Concordat,” explains Hoch. This 

organisation brings together the police corps 

of the cantons in eastern Switzerland, 

enabling them to support each other in 

their police work. “For this reason, we 

provide police resources inter alia for 

the annual World Economic Forum in 

Davos,” says Hoch. As a member of 

Schengen, Europol and Interpol, the 

National Police also helps to solve 

international cases. 

High security and quality of life 

Criminality in the Principality of 

Liechtenstein is low, compared to other 

countries. For this reason, the small state is also 

one of the safest countries in the world. “The rural 

structure plays an important role,” explains Hoch. 

“We do not have any urban conurbations, and the 

population keeps a close eye on what goes on,” he 

adds. This all has a positive impact on national 

security, as well as on the quality of life. 

From pastors to police officers 

Up until the 18 th century, pastors and local councillors were responsible for maintaining law and 

order in the eleven Liechtenstein municipalities. At the time, a police force did not exist. It was 

only in the 19 th century that country officials and later part-time police-soldiers were given the 

remit to maintain law, order and security. The Princely Liechtenstein Security Corps was founded 

in 1932. A total of seven police officers performed their duties in the Government Building. Today 

the National Police has around 160 employees, including tactical units. As the only police 

authority in Liechtenstein, it performs numerous tasks and also maintains a number of 

commissariats. In addition, it is also responsible for running Liechtenstein’s only prison. As the 

Principality has neither an intelligence service nor an army, the National Police has exclusive 

responsibility for safeguarding domestic security. www.landespolizei.li 

14


Jules Hoch 

Function: Police Chief 

Born: 1963 

Career: Jules Hoch was made 

Head of the Criminal 

Investigation Department in 

1999. In 2013 the Liechtenstein 

Government appointed him to the 

position of Police Chief. 

Marital status: married, 

3 children 

Interview 

A discussion with Liechtenstein’s 

Police Chief Jules Hoch about 

the most common crimes, police 

training, and why there are so 

few female police officers in the 

National Police. 

15 

www.liechtenstein.li/police 

Photos: National Police


Photo: istock 

View from Vienna 

There have always been very close links between Austria and Liechtenstein, not least 

because the Princely Family, which is one of the oldest aristocratic families in Europe, 

has its roots in the region south of Vienna. In addition, the two states are connected by 

over 40 treaties, an open border as well as the EEA. In this interview, the Liechtenstein 

Ambassador in Vienna, Her Serene Highness Maria-Pia Kothbauer, Princess of 

Liechtenstein, speaks about the neighbourly relations, past highlights and the future 

challenges of her work. Interview: Patrik Schädler 

Your Serene Highness, you have been Liechtenstein’s 

resident Ambassador in Vienna since December 1997. 

How do you view Liechtenstein from the perspective of 

the Austrian capital? 

As a good and reliable partner and friend of Austria. As a 

country that shares the same interests and values, and 

with which cooperation is extremely multifaceted. As a 

country that has successfully mastered the challenges of 

recent years, and has initiated the necessary reforms. And 

as a country that has managed, despite the global 

economic crisis, to remain debt-free. 

The responsibilities of the Liechtenstein Embassy in 

Vienna encompass four fields. It acts as the Embassy 

of the Principality of Liechtenstein in Austria and the 

Czech Republic, and is moreover the permanent 

representative at the OSCE and United Nations in 

Vienna. How do you keep track of all these different 

tasks? 

It is indeed something of a challenge, but there are positive 

aspects. The advantage is that one quickly learns to 

prioritise, and one remains versatile. We have an excellent 

team in Vienna, and that certainly helps too. Over the years 

we have been able to build up expertise in our fields of 

responsibility, together with a very wide-ranging network of 

contacts upon which we are able to draw, when necessary. 

What is your assessment of the current relationship 

between Austria and Liechtenstein? Which areas in 

particular need to be addressed? 

16


The relations are excellent, have grown 

and developed over many years, are 

amicable, close and resilient. We are 

bound together by over 40 treaties, an 

open border and the EEA. Liechtenstein is 

a valued employer for many Austrians. In 

the fields of taxes and regional transport, there 

are in-depth discussions at the expert level. 

You have now been Ambassador in Vienna for eighteen 

years. When you look back: what event would you 

describe as your personal highlight? 

There have been a number of highlights: the opening of 

the Liechtenstein Embassy in the year 1998, the state 

visits associated with the restoration of the two 

Liechtenstein Palaces in Vienna in the years 2004 and 

2013, as well as the positive conclusion of the negotiations 

concerning the restoration of diplomatic relations with the 

Czech Republic in the year 2009, which were conducted 

over a three-year period in Vienna. For an ambassador, 

though, these highlights are not the main source of 

satisfaction. Instead, what really matters is the sense that 

one has helped to strengthen relations between two 

countries, and that our country is seen positively in 

Austria, even during difficult moments. This was the case 

in particular in conjunction with certain financial market 

issues. Negative “highlights” are the crisis in Ukraine, and 

the general security situation in Europe, which occupies 

us at the OSCE and is hindering the ability of Europe to 

cooperate. 

Her Serene Highness Ambassador Maria-Pia Kothbauer (centre) 

with Prime Minister Adrian Hasler and Minister Aurelia Frick at 

the traditional Liechtenstein Embassy Reception in 2015 at the 

Garden Palace in Vienna. 

Despite all the efforts that have been 

made, Liechtenstein is still “terra 

incognita” for many people in Austria. 

How would you explain Liechtenstein to 

an Austrian, in just one sentence? 

One of Austria’s eight neighbours, closely 

related to Vorarlberg in terms of landscape and 

character, a German-speaking constitutional hereditary 

monarchy with a highly-developed system of direct 

democracy, economically liberal, business-friendly and 

innovative, simultaneously urban and rural, debt-free, a 

country with a very high quality of life. 

Liechtenstein is going through a period of structural 

change. Where do you see the risks – and where are the 

opportunities? 

By and large, the inhabitants of Liechtenstein are selfcritical 

and pragmatic. This is a good starting position for 

structural change and innovation. The opportunities lie in 

the fact that we take steps earlier than other people, and 

are consequently able to find ample space in hard-fought 

markets. While the business side is certainly an important 

factor, I think it is also worth remembering that we remain 

as broad-based as possible, and in future provide space for 

professions in the arts to flourish in our country. In the 

social field, we need to ensure that social cohesion is 

preserved. 

What “insider tips” would you recommend to someone 

from Vienna visiting Liechtenstein for the first time? 

A hike through Schellenberg, a visit to the Russian 

Memorial, and then cheese gnocchi at the “Löwen” in 

Hinterschellenberg – at the little border crossing between 

Austria and Liechtenstein. 

How important are the following values 

for you? 

Freedom: One must use and defend it. 

Money: Gives one the opportunity to get things done. 

Privacy: I don’t think about this very much. 

Honesty: A very admirable character trait, 

and a daily challenge. 

Family: I am really happy that I have one. 

Politics: Have always interested me. 

Sport: I lack Churchill’s self-assurance. I always have 

a bad conscience when I think about sport. 

Quality of life: My current experiences. 

Liechtenstein: In great shape. 

17


Labour market 

without borders 

Powerful symbolism: the 135 metre wooden bridge built 

in 1901 between Liechtenstein and Switzerland embodies 

the close links between the two neighbouring countries – 

including the free movement of labour. 

18

The Liechtenstein economy supports almost as many 

workers as the country’s total number of inhabitants. 

For this reason, the manufacturing and financial centre 

is dependent on the supply of qualified employees from 

neighbouring countries. Almost 20,000 people 

commute every day from Switzerland, Austria and 

Germany to work in Liechtenstein. Text: Stefan Lenherr 

Liechtenstein’s labour market statistics are certainly impressive. 

According to the latest figures from the Office of Statistics, 36,680 people 

work in Liechtenstein, while the permanent population is 37,706 – this 

means the active workforce amounts to no less than 98.2 percent of the 

population. On an international comparison, Liechtenstein leads the field 

by a sizeable margin, ahead of Luxembourg (70.2 percent), Switzerland 

(59.7 percent), Germany 52.6 percent) and Austria (47.9 percent). As a 

centre of employment and finance, Liechtenstein offers not just the 

domestic population a great many opportunities to find work in the 

widest possible variety of professions, it is also an important business 

centre for the entire region. No less than 10,500 workers commute every 

day from Switzerland, and over 8,200 from Austria, to earn their living 

in Liechtenstein. Around 600 people even commute all the way from 

Germany. 

One of the reasons for the large number of international commuters is the 

fact that the country is reluctant to issue residence permits. After all, 

land is in short supply. As a consequence, many EU citizens from 

Germany or Italy find places to live in regions close to Liechtenstein, and 

are then able to work in the Principality. Companies in Liechtenstein also 

profit from this arrangement. After all, they would find themselves in 

great difficulties if they were not able to recruit qualified workers in 

neighbouring countries. “More than half of those who work in 

Liechtenstein commute across the border every day in order to work 

here,” says Christian Hausmann, Head of the Liechtenstein Office of 

Economic Affairs. “In view of these numbers, it goes without saying that 

international commuters are extremely important for the local business 

community.” 

Raluca Voicu, Project Manager Business Development Tools at 

Oerlikon Balzers 

“ Liechtenstein and 

Oerlikon Balzers offer me 

international flair” 

Raluca Voicu is one of over 10,000 individuals 

who commute to Liechtenstein every day from 

their homes in Switzerland. Born in Romania, she 

lives in Feusisberg in the Canton of Schwyz, and 

has worked for Oerlikon Balzers for the past three 

years. The internationally-operating industrial 

corporation has over 700 employees from around 

the world at its headquarters in the Liechtenstein 

Municipality of Balzers. Thanks to its numerous 

innovations and the high quality of its 

developments, the company enjoys an outstanding 

market reputation. For Voicu, the approx. 80 km 

commute to her place of work is worthwhile. 

“Liechtenstein and Oerlikon Balzers both offer me 

international flair – as well as an environment in 

which I feel comfortable, and through which I 

receive valuable input,” she says. “For me, this is 

very important not just at the professional level, 

but also at the personal level.” Voicu uses the 50 

minute drive from her home to Balzers to prepare 

herself mentally for the forthcoming tasks and 

meetings, to think about projects, or sometimes 

simply to enjoy the scenic route past Lake Walen 

and Lake Zurich. 

19 

Photo: Heinz Preute

From Liechtenstein 

to the entire world. 

From the entire world 

to Liechtenstein. 

Oerlikon Balzers is one of the world’s leading suppliers of 

surface technologies. We are improving the performance of 

tools and precision components and extending their service 

lives with our innovative and environmentally friendly coating 

solutions. These benefi ts are being enjoyed by the automotive 

and aerospace industries as well as in the areas of metal and 

plastics processing, among others. 

As the only provider, we are present in Europe, Asia and 

America with more than 100 coating centres. We attain the 

uniformly high quality for which we stand worldwide through 

standardized manufacturing processes based on the fi rm 

foundation of research and development in Liechtenstein. 

Together with Oerlikon Metco, we form the Surface Solutions 

Segment of the Oerlikon Group and have further enhanced 

our know-how, the portfolio and our worldwide presence. 

Think globally, act locally: This has been self evident for 

Oerlikon Balzers from the very beginning. As a result, we are 

bringing our innovative strength from Liechtenstein to the 

entire world. For more than 70 years now. 

For more information, please visit: www.oerlikon.com/balzers 

20



Attractive jobs in industry 

Before Liechtenstein made the transition from an impoverished agrarian 

state to a modern business centre, it was local citizens who often crossed 

the border to Austria or Switzerland in search of work. Since the end of 

the Second World War, however, the economy in Liechtenstein has 

enjoyed phenomenal growth. Over the past 20 years, gross domestic 

product has doubled to the current figure of CHF 5.3 billion. It is not 

merely the cosmopolitan financial sector that has been responsible for 

this. In fact, over 40 percent of people employed in Liechtenstein work in 

the industrial or commercial sectors – an impressively high proportion in 

comparison to other states in Central Europe. The approximately 4,300 

companies domiciled in Liechtenstein include illustrious names such as 

the construction technology group Hilti, the automotive component 

supplier ThyssenKrupp Presta, and the industrial conglomerate Oerlikon 

Balzers. They are amongst the ten largest companies in Liechtenstein, 

which collectively account for around one quarter of all jobs in the 

Principality. In addition to these, however, there are also numerous small 

and medium-sized enterprises, which are often highly specialised, 

amongst the best in the world in their particular fields, and for which it is 

quite simply pleasant to work. According to Christian Hausmann, this is 

one of the factors that make it so attractive to do business in 

Liechtenstein. “Of course, wages are high. But we also have many high- 

Industrial sector 

14,354 

jobs 

37,706 inhabitants 

4,331 companies 

38,363 jobs 

International commuters 

from Germany 

603 

Service sector 

23,711 

jobs 

Liechtenstein’s borders 

Liechtenstein is a sovereign state that operates 

without any customs officials whatsoever. They 

would anyway not have anything to do on the 

border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein: 

since 1923, the two neighbouring countries have 

formed a customs union. Only the respective 

national flags and the national signs on the Rhine 

bridges remind travellers that these are actually 

two different countries. Travellers or commuters 

can also leave their passports in the glove 

compartment when crossing the border with 

Austria. Both the Republic of Austria, which is an 

EU member state, as well as Liechtenstein are 

Schengen Treaty signatories. For this reason, 

individuals are no longer checked when crossing 

the border between the two countries. The only 

customs station is located on the border with 

Austria in Schaanwald. On the Liechtenstein side, 

however, this is manned by Swiss Border Guards. 


from Austria 

8,226 

tech industrial enterprises in which specialists can realise 

their full potential in their particular field.” 


from Switzerland 

10,506 

Source: Office of Statistics, status end of 2014 

In view of the high wage levels, being amongst the best is 

the only effective growth and survival strategy for 

Liechtenstein companies. “Businesses in Liechtenstein 

have always defined themselves with their products 

through quality and technology leadership, never through 

cost leadership,” says Hausmann. For this reason, it will 

remain crucial to nurture good relations with neighbouring 

countries; porous borders mean a steady supply of qualified 

workers will be able to go about their work in Liechtenstein. 

21


Photo: Hilti 

The emissary 

with the red case 

Milestones 

For the milestones in the 75 year 

history of Hilti see: 

www.liechtenstein-business.li/ 

hiltihistory 

Switzerland has Swatch, Germany Volkswagen – and Liechtenstein? The Principality certainly has 

more than just financial services to offer. It also exports world-famous products. The best-known: 

electrical equipment produced by the construction technology group Hilti. Text: Stefan Lenherr 

When on their travels, Liechtenstein citizens soon become aware 

just how exotic they are. At airports around the world, they often 

need to assure customs officials that they are not in fact travelling 

with a make-believe passport, and that the country they call home 

does actually exist. To help prove this point, the Liechtenstein 

passport contains a useful map of Western Europe, in which the 

diminutive Principality is clearly marked. And fortunately there 

is the company Hilti. For all around the globe, people find that 

images of drills and red cases suddenly spring to mind when one 

mentions Hilti – an original Liechtenstein company. With its 

fastening elements and cutting tools, the construction technology 

group is familiar to many people. Today the products and services 

provided by the system supplier with in-house direct sales 

encompass inter alia laser measurement technology, fire 

protection systems and installation technology, as well as 

technical consultancy, software solutions and associated services. 

With over 1,600 employees at its headquarters in Liechtenstein, 

Hilti is one of the country’s most important employers. Around 

the world, the company has over 23,000 employees. When the 

brothers Martin and Eugen Hilti founded the company 

Maschinenbau Hilti OHG in the year 1941, they initially had only 

five employees. The company’s first customers were drawn from 

the Swiss textile sector and the German automotive industry, 

which arranged for certain components to be produced in Schaan. 

But the newly-founded enterprise quickly went on to develop its 

own products. The real breakthrough came in the year 1967: the 

hammer drill “Hilti TE 17” with electro-pneumatic hammer 

mechanism took the construction sector by storm. 

Substantial investment in the latest innovations 

Hilti works hard to keep its name associated with cutting-edge 

solutions of the very highest quality. For example, the Group 

recently invested CHF 120 million in a new Innovation Centre at 

its headquarters in Schaan, in order to tinker away at “the next 

big thing”. With its new think-tank, Hilti has demonstrated its 

strong connection with Liechtenstein. It also means 

Liechtenstein’s citizens will continue to generate eureka moments 

amongst foreigners when they explain that the world-famous 

company Hilti is an original Liechtenstein enterprise. 

22


Steering systems for 

the cars of the future 

Over the course of the 75 years since its foundation, ThyssenKrupp Presta has developed into a 

leading global supplier for the automotive industry. With some 2000 employees at its headquarters 

in Liechtenstein, the company is the country’s biggest private employer. It aims to continue shaping 

the future of the automotive industry with new technologies. Text: Stefan Lenherr 

On 28 October the company Press- und 

Stanzwerk AG, now known as 

ThyssenKrupp Presta, will be marking the 

75 th anniversary of its foundation. The 

company is one of the industrial pioneers 

that helped forge Liechtenstein’s economic 

growth after the Second World War. To 

this day, it is one of the country’s most 

important employers. Yet Presta 

experienced very difficult times as well. 

The company initially produced 

components for munitions, and later large 

quantities of bolts. Towards the end of the 

Second World War, however, orders 

declined. In the 1960s there was even talk 

of selling the business to the USA. A move 

into the automotive sector saw the 

company’s fortunes take a decided turn 

for the better. 

Employees of ThyssenKrupp Presta work 

on new technologies for the automotive 

industry in the Acoustics Hall at the 

headquarters of the company in Eschen. 

Photo: ThyssenKrupp-Presta 

New trends present new opportunities 

The company first developed a reputation 

as a supplier for the automotive industry, 

and then expanded and established 

production facilities around the world. 

ThyssenKrupp Presta experienced strong 

growth in the year 2003, when it acquired 

the steering business from Mercedes-Benz. 

In one fell swoop, the workforce rose 1,700 

and the company’s sales increased by a 

substantial EUR 300 million. Presta has 

continued to grow to this day. It is one of 

the world’s leading manufacturers of 

steering systems, and is the technology 

leader in the field of solid forming. At its 

headquarters in Eschen, as well as at its 

company sites in Europe, North America 

and South America as well as Asia, the 

company currently has over 7,000 

employees. Last year, these generated 

sales of CHF 1.9 billion. It still has 

considerable upside potential, as CEO 

Guido Durrer explains: “As we are directly 

dependent upon the automotive industry 

and the respective markets, market 

growth offers us significant growth 

opportunities.” According to Durrer, in 

technology terms the automotive industry 

is set to shift increasingly in the direction 

of autonomous driving and electrification. 

This is where Durrer senses further 

opportunities for growth. The business 

will remain at the cutting edge of 

developments. “In terms of steering 

technologies, we are directly affected by 

both trends. We will therefore be able to 

profit from this technology shift.” The 

company’s headquarters in the 

Liechtenstein town of Eschen will play a 

key role. “This is where the development 

of future products takes place. The results 

are then produced in the global production 

network comprising 16 sites,” says Durrer. 

23

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VP Bank Group is based in Liechtenstein and has offices in Vaduz, Zurich, Luxembourg, 

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24

Dual SystemDual System 



Training made 

in Liechtenstein 

Vaduz University, HSG in St. Gallen, or perhaps Innsbruck or Vienna? 

Instead, after successfully completing her baccalaureate, in the 

summer of 2015 Annina Götz chose Schaan and vocational training 

as a commercial apprentice. Text: Michael Benvenuti 

Annina Götz thought carefully 

before deciding to complete an 

apprenticeship: “I wanted to do 

something practical, and I wanted to 

see concrete results,” she says. In addition, she wanted to 

improve her social skills. “Previously, I hated using the 

telephone, was shy, didn’t know how to handle criticism, 

how to present myself and sell ideas.” Today none of these 

are a problem. The 19 year-old has a friendly and competent 

telephone manner, talks openly, laughs, gesticulates – no 

sign of uncertainty whatsoever. 

Her initial concern that she might not be able to cope with 

the challenges of the vocational training college quickly 

evaporated. “Her average grade is 5.3,” says Ivan Schurte 

with pride. He is Head of the Vocational Training 

Department at the Chamber of Commerce, and is also 

Annina’s line manager. What makes the young woman’s 

progress so impressive is the fact that she has to complete 

the first four semesters in a single year. This compressed 

apprenticeship format goes by the name of “Way up”, and is 

aimed specifically at students who have successfully 

completed their school-leaving baccalaureate. For this 

reason, Annina Götz’s training takes only two years, 

instead of the normal three. The congenial student from 

Schellenberg has not yet thought about her future career. 

Ivan Schurte, however, has no doubts. “At the end of the day, 

she will be a winner. All doors will be open to her. She has 

chosen an extremely effective career path.” 

set of skills that the companies require. For students, this 

makes their transition into the labour market easier than for 

graduates of general educational courses. Liechtenstein’s 

Minister for Education, Aurelia Frick, also highlights this 

advantage: “Trainees learn practical skills. Concrete work 

results help motivate trainees, and by being closely involved 

in the enterprise, they learn to assume responsibility. Teamplaying 

abilities and social skills are acquired in a real 

working environment. These are qualities that are highly 

sought-after on the labour market.” 

Ivan Schurte agrees: “Dual vocational training provides 

sound foundations for successful enterprises.” While other 

countries have endeavoured to boost the proportion of 

university graduates, he is not so sure this is the best 

approach: “I cannot have the same number of bosses and 

workers. 

Photo: Michael Zanghellini 

Sound foundations for successful enterprises 

The vocational apprenticeship model has been deeply rooted 

in Liechtenstein for many decades. It has an excellent 

reputation amongst society at large, and is not merely 

straightforward, it is also successful: students are trained 

for a specific occupation in apprenticeship firms as well as 

at the vocation college. As a rule, they acquire precisely the 

After completing her baccalaureate, Annina Götz decided to undergo 

vocational training as a commercial apprentice 

25


“ 100pro!” is helping 

to tackle the shortage 

of qualified workers 

Photo: ThyssenKrupp Presta 

26 

ThyssenKrupp Presta also supports dual vocational training 

What is needed is a healthy mix.” Does the dual vocational 

training model have export potential? “It certainly does”, says 

Werner Kranz, Head of the Office of Vocational Training and 

Careers Advice. “Vocational training “made in Liechtenstein” 

could be a great export. In view of low youth unemployment 

and considerable demand for qualified employees, the export 

of the dual vocational training model to other countries could 

really make a tangible difference.” 

Apprenticeships have undoubtedly helped many enterprises 

in Liechtenstein develop into world market leaders, stresses 

Schurte. He has his doubts, though, that the vocational 

training model could be transplanted in precisely its present 

form to all other countries. “To make the system work, a 

corresponding social environment is also required. Ambition 

and a willingness to work hard need to be firmly anchored in 

society.” 

Increasingly individual educational strategies 

When it comes to the first level of training, the ratio between vocational 

training graduates and baccalaureate graduates in Liechtenstein is about 

70 to 30. Metalworking and mechanical engineering occupations as well 

as the field of organisation/administration/office work are the most 

popular choices. These are followed by technical occupations, nursing, 

sales and construction. Since 2005, the number of successful vocational 

training graduates has remained broadly constant at 300 to 350. A total of 

approx. 1,200 apprentices are undergoing training at about 340 active 

apprenticeship firms at any one time. After completing their 

apprenticeships, an increasing number take up further training 

opportunities. These are provided in particular by higher vocational 

colleges or universities of applied science. This means the Liechtenstein 

education system offers many routes for young people to pursue their 

personal and professional development, and from every starting position. 

In order to boost the status of dual vocational training, 

and in order to support training enterprises as well as 

trainees, the Chamber of Commerce has launched the 

initiative “100pro!” The programme rests upon three 

pillars: trainee coaching, enterprise coaching and 

association training. 

For young apprentices, trainee coaching offers very 

practical support in the schooling field. In addition to 

remedial schooling, semester appraisals and 

methodological learning advice, homework is also 

overseen within the context of the Homework Lobby 

(HALO). This aims to ensure that students achieve their 

scholarly potential. 

Enterprise coaching provided by “100pro!” eases the 

administrative burden on enterprises associated with 

recruiting apprentices, drawing up training curricula, 

or conducting qualification interviews. This enables the 

enterprises concerned to focus on the practical training. 

Association training is designed to enable even small 

enterprises and specialist firms to create training 

places with a broad curriculum. The apprentices are 

employed by the Liechtenstein Chamber of Commerce, 

and complete their specialist training in accordance 

with a carefully-coordinated deployment schedule at a 

succession of affiliated enterprises. An association 

agreement stipulates precise details of the collaboration 

between the Chamber of Commerce and the individual 

enterprises. 

“100pro!” currently oversees 170 apprentices in a wide 

variety of fields. 25 are completing vocational training 

within the association of different enterprises, 60 

apprentices are benefiting from enterprise coaching, 

and an average of 80 apprentices receive trainee 

coaching. 

“The active combination of specialist and training skills 

means young people with successful qualifications 

reach the labour market. This is helping to tackle the 

shortage of qualified workers,” says Ivan Schurte, Head 

of the Vocational Training Department at the Chamber 

of Commerce. 

Interview 

For Remo Kluser, 

Head of Vocational Training at 

Hilti AG, dual vocational training 

has great export potential. 

www.liechtenstein.li/ 

education


GOOD TO 

KNOW 

BACHELOR (BSc) 

Architecture 

Business Administration 

MASTER (MSc) 

Architecture 

Entrepreneurship 

Finance 

Information Systems 

DOCTORATE (PhD) 

Architecture and Planning 

Business Economics 

www.uni.li 27


The Altruistic 

Founder 

Florian Büchel knows what career he wants to pursue. 

That wasn’t always the case. For this reason he founded 

mychoice.info together with two friends. With this online 

platform, he helps young people find the vocational 

training courses they want – in an honorary capacity. 

Text: Silke Knöbl 

“When I was younger, I wanted to be an ice hockey goalie,” says Florian 

Büchel. Why? Because the sport fascinated him. He never actually played, 

though. Later he wanted to become a landscape gardener. “I’ve always 

loved the outdoor environment.” At the end of the day, he decided to 

complete a commercial apprenticeship at a Liechtenstein bank. “I wanted 

to follow in my father’s footsteps.” 

Young people often do not know what occupation they should learn. They 

are unfamiliar with very many occupations, and do not know precisely 

what others involve. In addition, many young people do not make the 

choice all by themselves. They are influenced by their teachers and above 

all by their parents. The situation wasn’t any different for Florian Büchel. 

This is why he is keen, with the project he has launched, to make it easier 

for young people to choose the right occupation. 

Insights into working life 

The platform presents various occupations in videos. Neutral and 

authentic. “These days, young people obtain information primarily over 

the internet,” says Florian Büchel. “And a multimedia service of this 

magnitude has never been available in this region.” The platform is 

designed to provide not just young people with insights into 

working life, however, but also their parents. 

He runs the project in his free time – together 

with his two school friends Kevin Gabathuler and 

Kevin Frick. The three spent their childhood in 

the same village; they attended the same school, 

and played football together. To date, over 2,400 

working hours have been invested in the 

platform. 

Discovering 

apprenticeship 

occupations 

The videos on mychoice.info 

provide insights into 

apprenticeship occupations in 

a wide variety of fields. 

www.mychoice.info 

28


Florian Büchel informs pupils 

about the platform mychoice.info 

that he helped develop. 

Award-winning project 

The effort has been worthwhile: the 

founders have won a number of 

competitions, for example the 

“Liechtenstein Ideas Channel” as well as 

the “11 th Interregional Youth Project”. In 

addition, they secured a grant of CHF 

15,000 from a foundation that helps 

promote education and the vocational 

further training of young people and 

young adults in the region. 

The money is being funnelled back into 

the project. The high-quality videos are 

being produced with the support of an 

external company, and do not come cheap. 

In addition, mychoice.info will be 

expanding into Switzerland in the coming 

months. “We want to reach more young 

people,” says Florian Büchel. 

To promote the activities, he maintains 

regular contacts with various professional 

associations in Liechtenstein and 

Switzerland. Florian Büchel is the project’s 

communicator and financial director. 

These two roles suit him well. He acquired 

know-how and experience while studying 

business administration at Liechtenstein 

University. “The training had a very 

practical emphasis,” explains Florian 

Büchel. This has also been a great helpin 

his own career. 

Responsible tasks 

The 26 year-old has worked for a real 

estate and fiduciary company since the 

Photos: Roland Korner 

summer of last year. The company is run 

by his father and two further partners. In 

a few years the young Liechtensteiner will 

be able to take over from his father. An 

elegant succession solution, and a 

challenging task that Florian Büchel is 

already looking forward to. 

He will continue to oversee mychoice.info 

on a voluntary basis. “We are not aiming 

to generate a profit,” says the social 

entrepreneur. “After all, when it comes to 

earning money, I have my own career.” 

The young 

entrepreneurs: 

from left Kevin 

Gabathuler, 

Kevin Frick, 

Florian Büchel 

University of Liechtenstein 

The state university is young, with regional 

roots and internationally active. It offers 

bachelor, master and doctorate studies, as 

well as further training programmes in the 

fields of architecture and spatial development, 

entrepreneurship, financial services 

and business IT. 

www.uni.li 

29


Amusement sector 

record-holder 

Rollercoasters are the biggest attraction at countless amusement 

parks around the globe. Higher, faster, more spectacular: 

a Liechtenstein company, Intamin Amusement Rides, is one of the 

leading players in the looping, catapult start and rollover business. 

Text: Stefan Lenherr 

Hidden champions exist, even in Liechtenstein’s 

otherwise manageable corporate landscape. This term 

refers to companies that are amongst the absolute global 

leaders in their particular sector, but have very low public 

profiles. Intamin – the acronym stands for International 

Amusement Installations – is one of these. Since its 

foundation in 1967, the company has been responsible for 

planning and constructing over 100 rollercoasters, and 

has realised these structures at amusement parks around 

the world – inter alia in Disneyland Paris and Europapark 

Rust. Yet Intamin is a company that few people outside 

the sector have ever heard of. 

Intamin’s CEO Patrick Spieldiener is not one to blow his 

own trumpet. And it doesn’t bother him in the slightest if 

people in Paris, London, Las Vegas or Abu Dhabi ride 

Intamin rollercoasters without noticing who created them. 

“This is not something that bothers us in the slightest,” 

says Spieldiener. “Customers who want to realise a new 

track with us need to get very closely involved in the 

process. For this reason, the customer deserves to collect 

the credit and leverage the marketing effect.” For this 

reason, it is also absolutely taboo for him to talk about 

current or forthcoming projects. 

New records in sight 

By the nature of things, park operators tend to be less 

self-effacing when it comes to public relations. For this 

reason it has been possible to ascertain that Intamin is 

currently involved in a major project in Orlando, Florida. 

According to the industry journal “InPark Magazine”, the 

founder of the company US Thrill Rides, Bill Kitchen, is 

planning a USD 300 million attraction named Skyplex, 

including a rollercoaster that will set a whole range of 

records. Amongst other things, the 173 metre 

“Skyscraper”, that is set to go into operation in 2018, will 

be the tallest rollercoaster in the world. To make sure the 

project is a success, he is drawing upon the services of 

Intamin. In an interview in “InPark Magazine”, Kitchen is 

fulsome in his praise for the Liechtenstein-based 

company. “We couldn’t be happier, having Intamin on 

board.” After all, Intamin has a well-founded reputation 

for building record-breaking rollercoasters. 

Faster than a Formula 1 Ferrari 

The fastest, the highest, the most spectacular: in 

saturated markets such as the USA, superlatives are an 

essential part of the business when it comes to keeping 

the competition at bay. And Intamin knows all about 

30


Photo: Jean-Jacques Ruchti 

Patrick Spieldiener is Chairman of Intamin 

Amusement Rides and Intamin Transportation, 

both headquartered in Schaan, Liechtenstein. 

Mobility for the future 

In addition to the amusement park side of the 

business, Spieldiener also runs another company 

for transport solutions. Its monorail systems are 

already successfully in operation in a number of 

cities, such as Moscow and Hamburg. Intamin 

Transportation recently won an order to build a 

monorail in the Italian city of Bologna. The socalled 

Marconi Express will link the airport with 

the main railway station. Intamin’s boss would 

also like to create a similar project in the 

Liechtenstein capital. A track from the Rhinepark 

Stadium to Vaduz town centre could be realised 

relatively inexpensively, and would also be a 

tourist attraction. 

Interview 

The Intamin rollercoaster 

Millennium Force in the 

US state of Ohio set 

a number of world records 

when it opened. 

Intamin’s CEO Patrick 

Spieldiener reveals his favourite 

rollercoaster, and what visitors to 

amusement parks of the future 

can look forward to. 

www.liechtenstein-business.li/ 

rollercoaster 

31 

Photos: Intamin


Advertorial 

setting records. The company was also responsible for what 

is currently the world’s fastest rollercoaster, the Formula 

Rossa in the Ferrari World Amusement Park in Abu Dhabi. 

With the help of a 25,000 PS hydraulic system, visitors here 

are accelerated to a velocity of 240 kph within just 4.9 

seconds. In the light of such impressive performance data, 

even the normally understated Intamin CEO is liable to get a 

little excited. “This is a stunning engineering achievement. 

Not even a Formula 1 Ferrari manages to accelerate like 

that.” Yet further upside potential still remains. Technical 

developments are making it easier for engineers and 

designers to set new records with rollercoasters. “People 

today can’t withstand more than people 100 years ago, before 

blacking out,” explains Spieldiener. “With today’s technical 

resources, however, we can plan acceleration curves with far 

greater precision. Much is still possible.” 

Innovation is the decider 

Even after almost 50 years in the business, Spieldiener and 

his 500 employees around the world never seem to tire when 

it comes to tinkering on new attractions. Intamin certainly 

cannot afford to rest on its laurels. “In our industry, 

innovation decides the match.” 

For this reason, the company realises at least one new track 

each year. For the competition never sleeps. Quite the 

contrary: it copies everything that works. According to 

Spieldiener, a new development has a half-life of two to four 

years. The lead evaporates after this time, and then the 

competition will have the same features in their own 

programmes, but cheaper. “For us, it is then no longer so 

interesting. We always need to be a step ahead.” 

And what will the future bring? “One trend is certainly that 

in future rollercoaster riders will be wearing virtual reality 

goggles,” says Spieldiener. “This will give tracks a second 

life, because the ride experience will be completely different. 

If Intamin ever pushes its systems to physical limits, then it 

will still be possible to go higher with virtual reality. “If the 

sense of acceleration was synchronised with what one was 

seeing through the goggles, for example, then entirely new 

possibilities could be opened up. For example, simulated 

space travel.” 

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32

Advertorial 


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33

Food/Culture 

A flair for 

innovative ideas 

The organic tenant farm that Franky Willinger and his wife Leni have run in 

the Vaduz Riet region since 2009 is exemplary. With tremendous energy and 

innovation, the young couple have built up a henhouse for organic eggs as well 

as a direct marketing operation, in addition to the dairy side of the enterprise. 

A business concept that emphasises a love of nature and of animals. 

Text: Niki Eder · Photos: Eddy Risch 

34


4:40 a.m. It is pitch 

black outside – and 

cold. While the vast 

majority of the 

population are still 

slumbering peacefully 

in their beds, it is time 

for Franky and Leni 

Willinger to get up. 

Their 50 dairy cows are 

already waiting. As is 

the farm dog Tina, who 

welcomes her masters 

with an eagerly 

wagging tail as they 

enter the stables. On 

the way to the milking stand, the 33 year-old farmer gently 

scratches the brows of some of the trusting cows as he 

passes. Then the work begins. The dairy cows are already 

lining up expectantly. “Each animal has its own character,” 

says Franky Willinger. “There are real personalities 

amongst them. One grows really fond of them.” 

While the farmer is milking his cows, his wife Leni attends 

to the boxes and the feeding of the calves. The two are a 

well-rehearsed team, work hand in hand – and have already 

performed many tasks by the time they sit down at the 

breakfast table at 7:30 a.m. with their two children, 4 yearold 

Malin and 6 year-old Björn. Spending time together 

with the family is important to the couple. It gives them 

new strength and energy to tackle the tasks of the day. And 

there is certainly never any shortage of things to do on a 

farm. Straight after breakfast, it is time to visit the 

henhouse. And in addition to the dairy cows and hens, there 

are also 40 calves and two farm donkeys to look after. 

Realising a childhood dream 

Franky Willinger loves his profession. Yet his career path 

was not always straightforward. While he spent every 

available minute as a child either in his grandmother’s 

sheep stables and pigsty, or in their neighbour’s cowshed, 

there was never a family farm that he might be able to take 

over one day – which would have enabled him to become 

self-employed. For this reason, when the time came for him 

to choose an occupation, he abandoned his dream of 

completing a farming apprenticeship, and signed up for a 

commercial apprenticeship at a Triesenberg-based haulage 

contractor instead. Franky Willinger completed the 

apprenticeship successfully – yet he never entirely forsook 

his real passion, farming. He continued to spend a large 

part of his free time helping out on his neighbour’s farm, 

and during the summer months he worked on high-altitude 

Alpine pastures. 

It soon became 

apparent: office life 

was never going to be 

his metier. And so, at 

the age of 20, Franky 

Willinger took time out 

– and spent a year in 

Canada, working on a 

farm, while all the 

time learning English. 

A fantastic experience 

that brought him back 

to Canada two years 

later. On the second 

occasion, Franky met 

the woman who has 

now become his wife. “That was more than just a 

coincidence,” he says. “I was travelling with a friend of 

mine, from one side of the country to the other, when one 

day we met a group of girls from Switzerland in a pub. One 

of them was Leni.” Back in Liechtenstein, Franky was 

unable to get his new acquaintance out of his mind – and so 

he cunningly arranged to accidentally bump into Leni in a 

bar one evening in her hometown of Sax. From then on, the 

two were inseparable. 

Leni, who had herself grown up on a farm, before training 

as a chef, also dreamed about living on a farm. She 

consequently encouraged her boyfriend to begin a farming 

apprenticeship, at long last. “I am certain that I would have 

done it myself one day, anyway,” says Franky. “But Leni 

certainly shortened the decision-making process.” Franky 

Willinger attended the School of Agriculture in Salez for two 

years. During the years thereafter he obtained additional 

qualifications, working on a part-time basis, and became a 

master craftsman in agriculture. Then, all that was lacking 

was the right farm. Initially, the young couple looked abroad 

for corresponding opportunities. A trip to Canada had 

already been booked, where they 

were going to explore the 

possibilities. But then things 

turned out very differently. 

The opportunity to lease the 

Riethof 

At the beginning of 2008 the 

young couple saw an ad, in which 

the Municipality of Vaduz put the 

Riethof Farm in the Vaduz Riet region 

out to tender. “Although we did not think 

we had much of a chance, we had nothing to 

lose, so we submitted our application,” says 

Franky Willinger. 

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Food/Culture 


“When our application was approved only a few months later, we could 

hardly believe our eyes.” The Triesenberg-born farmer beat 30 other 

applicants to secure the farm. A happy turn of events, and one that 

shelved all emigration plans for the foreseeable future. 

In March 2009 Franky and Leni, who in the interim had got married, 

took possession of the empty buildings of Riethof Farm. The farmer had 

to buy the cows and necessary machinery himself. But this did not sate 

his appetite for innovation. When he was approached by a businessman 

from Liechtenstein, who enquired whether he had thought about 

producing organic eggs for the local region, he sprung at the idea. “The 

investment in a new henhouse was one of our best decisions,” says 

Franky Willinger. “Organic eggs from the region are in short supply – 

meaning that demand is correspondingly high. Today, we supply 20 

stores in Liechtenstein and in the neighbouring St. Gallen Rhine Valley 

region with eggs and various other products, twice a week.” 

Eggs that can be eaten with a clear conscience. For the 500 chickens on 

the farm make a palpably happy impression. Their plumage is luxuriant, 

and they can move freely between the henhouse and spacious outdoor 

pens. State-of-the-art technology means feeding is fully-automated, and a 

conveyor belt transports the eggs to the barn for processing. Twice a day, 

Leni or Franky checks the eggs, cleans 

them, sorts them according to size and 

packs them in egg trays. Franky’s 

father, who is retired, often helps 

with this task. 

But the henhouse is not the 

only innovation on Riethof 

Farm. The couple have also 

built up a direct-marketing 

operation. In addition to their 

organic eggs, they also use this to 

sell meat products, alpine cheese, 

fondue, jams and much more. “Leni is 

in charge of the marketing side, and I help 

out when she needs support,” explains Franky Willinger. “In the stables 

it’s the other way round.” And as if that was not enough responsibility, 

Franky Willinger is also involved in numerous organisations, such as the 

Liechtenstein Milk Association, the Alpine Cooperative or the Education 

Commission of the Teaching Association of St. Gallen-Appenzell- 

Liechtenstein. 

Those who see the sparkle in the eyes of Franky Willinger, when he talks 

about his work, know: he is a farmer through and through. “Despite the 

huge number of regulations, I love the sheer diversity of this job. If one is 

innovative and full of energy, there are many ways to make a success of 

farming.” And so it comes as no great surprise when he says: “Of course, 

life on a farm can be tough. Yet above all, it is also wonderful. Who else 

can say that they have made their favourite hobby their profession?” 

Liechtenstein is the 

organic world champion 

In Liechtenstein, the state supports sustainable farming 

practices. As a result, label programmes cover all farm 

produce. More than 30 percent of farms adhere to the 

strict Swiss organic production criteria. In a country 

ranking, Liechtenstein is the organic world champion. 

While large countries such as Australia, Argentina or 

the USA continue to lead the pack in sheer volume 

terms, the situation soon changes when one considers 

the percentage share of organic farming in relation to 

total farming production. This is where small countries 

really come into their own – first and foremost 

Liechtenstein. With an impressive organic farming 

ratio of over 30 percent, the Principality of 

Liechtenstein is the undisputed organic world 

champion. 

Liechtenstein farming 

facts and figures 

• 0.8 % of the working population in Liechtenstein 

are employed in the agricultural or forestry sector 

• 109 recognised farms. 

• 33 organic farms (30.3 % share). 

• Around 3,600 hectares of agricultural land. 

This means agricultural land accounts for approx. 

22 % of total land in the Principality. 

• Around 6,000 cattle, of which 2,800 cows. 

One third of the cattle spend the summer in the 

Liechtenstein Alps. 

• Around 60 dairy farms produce 14 million 

kilograms of milk. 

• The average farmer is 48.5 years of age. 

(source: Office of Statistics, Farming Statistics 2013) 

Photo: Roland Korner 

37

Food/Culture 

Stubborn donkey? – 

certainly not! 

At the legendary Donkey Festival in Malbun there are 

only winners. Yet one question remains: who is the 

most stubborn – man or beast? A visit to the 

entertaining popular Malbun festival. 

Text and Photos: Doris Büchel 

38


What a stubborn donkey! This assessment is heard from spectators every 

August, when the legendary Donkey Festival is staged. Stubborn donkey? 

One may ask: who is the stubborn one – the man who is pulling and 

pushing and tempting the donkey to complete the course with all (legal) 

means at his disposal? Or the donkey that doesn’t really see why it should 

hurry, because it knows that at the end of the day it will be getting plenty 

of care and attention and a sack of carrots, whatever the outcome. But 

first things first… 

Donkey takes its time 

The Organising Committee chaired by Normann Bühler chose a glorious 

summer day in August 2015 to stage the 19 th Donkey Festival. Dark 

green meadows, bright blue skies and a gentle breeze attracted hundreds 

of spectators from Liechtenstein and abroad to Malbun to watch the event, 

overlooked by the Peace Chapel. None of them were to be disappointed: 

the starting line-up was long, lamas and alpacas were included as 

starters for the first time. And in stark contrast to conventional 

competitions, where the decisive criteria are faster, higher and better, 

what spectators at the Donkey Festival enjoy best is when not everything 

on the course goes to plan – which is frequently the case. 

While laymen are wont to describe donkeys as being stubborn and 

irascible, this is an unfair view of these gentle and intelligent animals. In 

fact, donkeys simply like to take their time. Their own sweet time. 

Incidentally: who says everything always has to move faster and exactly 

according to plan? Why not stop for a moment and ruminate, enjoying the 

wonderful mountain panorama? Why not nibble on a tuft of grass? Or 

simply potter along for the fun of it? Quite. By the end of the Festival, fun 

had been had by nearly everyone: the spectators, who were highly 

amused by the events of the day. The victor, who completed the course 

with the donkey Tommy in just 58 seconds. And even the donkey Sorry, 

who – as befitting his name and the four resolutely refused hurdles – 

required many times the winning time to complete a total of seven 

hurdles, and consequently trailed the field by a substantial margin. Yet 

neither Tommy nor Sorry were much bothered either way. For: there are 

only winners at the Malbun Donkey Festival, and the same prize for 

everyone – a large sack full of carrots, and no end of tender loving care. 

It’s your own fault if you miss the event 

By the way: in addition to the course with hurdles, the Donkey Festival 

also features a “Donkey Grand Prix”. The winner is the first donkey to 

complete the course before the watchful eyes and encouraging cries of 

the many spectators lining the route leading from the Alpine Hotel Vögeli 

to the Valley Station Sareis, and back. Once again, this extremely 

entertaining race demonstrates that donkeys prefer being encouraged, 

rather than being drilled, and that practically nothing unsettles them. 

And because taking part in the Donkey Festival is more important than 

winning, some riders go on to complete a round of honour – not always 

voluntarily, but nevertheless. Whatever: at the end of the day, all are the 

same and all have good reason to be happy: the donkeys who can graze to 

their heart’s content on the green meadows. And the visitors who can 

spend the end of a convivial day in or around the festival marquee, at the 

heart of Malbun. 

2016 Donkey Festival 

Good news: on 6 August 2016 the Malbun Donkey 

Festival Association will be staging the 20 th 

Donkey Festival. For this purpose, the sevenstrong 

Organising Committee holds regular 

meetings to ensure an eventful and entertaining 

supporting programme for young and old. “We 

invite you all to visit Malbun on 6 August, and to 

play an active part in our Donkey Festival,” says 

Normann Bühler, Chairman of the Association. 

The Organising Committee has always stuck to its 

tried and trusted concept. Attention focuses on 

the donkeys, along with visitor conviviality. 

Visitors may rest assured: Association members 

make their own animals available to all those who 

do not have a donkey in their own stables. 

Moreover, alpacas and lamas will once again be 

part of the family festival. 

Young nature-lovers 

By the way: the Association has no shortage of 

young members – animals, as well as people. The 

Association has around 60 members, and a steady 

stream of new young members. “Young people in 

Triesenberg are fond of animals and the natural 

environment,” says Bühler. With so much good 

news, nothing can stand in the way of a 

successful 20 th Donkey Festival in Malbun. 

Online-Video 

Want to experience the 

Donkey Festival close up? An 

entertaining video and further 

photos are available under 

www.tourismus.li/ 

donkeyfestival

Food/Culture 

Event highlights 

2016/2017 

Whether young or old, trendy or traditional – boredom is taboo in Liechtenstein. 

Throughout the year, a large number of events provide entertainment in municipalities 

across the Principality. Visitors can enjoy regional and international theatre productions, 

can explore new ideas during readings or at the Vaduz Film Festival, or can dance the 

night away at music festivals. The following is a list of selected events in Liechtenstein. 

The full list of current events is available under www.tourismus.li/events. 

European Football Championship 

Boulevard in Vaduz 

10 June – 10 July 2016, 

Vaduz Städtle 

www.em-meile.li 

17 th LGT Alpine Marathon 

11 June 2016, from Bendern to 

Malbun 

www.lgt-alpin-marathon.li 

FL1 Life Festival 

1 – 2 July 2016 Schaan, 

SAL Saal am Lindenplatz 

www.fl1.life 

Rock around Malbun 

2 – 3 July 2016 Malbun 

www.rockaroundmalbun.li 

24 th LiGiTa Liechtenstein 

Guitar Festival 

2 – 9 July 2016 

Liechtensteiner Unterland 

www.ligita.li 

2016 CEV Beach Volleyball 

20 – 24 July 2016, Vaduz Städtle 

www.beachvolley.li 

Vaduz Film Festival 

4 – 8 August 2016, 

Vaduz, Peter-Kaiser-Platz 

www.filmfest.li 

Donkey Festival in Malbun 

6 August 2016, 

Malbun, Lift Station Täli 

www.eselfest.li 

Liechtenstein National Day 

15 August 2016, Vaduz 

www.staatsfeiertag.li 

The Princely Liechtenstein Tattoo 

1 – 3 September 2016 

Schellenberg, Castle Ruins 

www.princely-tattoo.li 

21 st LIHGA (Liechtenstein Industry, 

Commerce and Trade Show) 

2 – 10 September 2016, 

Schaan, Messeplatz 

www.lihga.li 

Golden Fly Series – 

World Class Light Athletics 

8 September 2016, 

Schaan, Lindenplatz 

www.verein-isl.li 

Beiza Festival 

23 September 2016, Schaan 

www.beizafestival.li 

Triesenberger Weeks – 

typical domestic cuisine 

14 October to 20 November 2016 

Triesenberg 

www.tourismus.li 

Start of the Winter Sport Season 

Ski Resort Malbun 

8 December 2016, Malbun 

www.bergbahnen.li 

Christmas Market Vaduz 

10 and 11 December 2016, 

Vaduz Städtle 

Fasnacht (Carnival) 

23 – 28 February 2017, 


www.fasnacht.li 

slowUp Werdenberg-Liechtenstein 

7 May 2017, Liechtenstein/Werdenberg 

www.slowup-werdenberg-liechtenstein.ch 

Liechtenstein National Day 

15 August 2017, Vaduz 

www.staatsfeiertag.li 

40


Photo: Roland Korner 

Liechtenstein is Guest 

of Honour at OLMA 2016 

From 13 to 23 October 2016, Liechtenstein will be showcasing itself for the 

fifth time as the Guest of Honour at OLMA, one of the biggest public and 

consumer goods fairs in Switzerland. The motto this year is the traditional 

dialect greeting “hoi metanand”, and aims to trigger positive associations 

and curiosity amongst visitors. 

“hoi metanand” – everyone who has ever been to Liechtenstein will have heard this traditional 

greeting at least once. It expresses the local population’s idiosyncratic closeness, openness and 

cordiality. And these are precisely the qualities that Liechtenstein’s presence at OLMA is 

intended to highlight. The country aims to take visitors positively by surprise, and to remain in 

good and affectionate memory thereafter. 

Discover Liechtenstein 

The centrepiece of the presence at OLMA is the 600 m 2 Special Liechtenstein Show. Over the 

course of the ten-day event, visitors will have the opportunity to explore and discover 

Liechtenstein in all its facets, and to experience Liechtenstein directly. A particular emphasis 

will be on the good and long-standing relations between Liechtenstein and Switzerland. 

The highlight of the OLMA event in St. Gallen will be the Guest of Honour Day on Saturday, 

15 October 2006. Liechtenstein associations will be using this opportunity to present the 

diversity of the Principality of Liechtenstein in a colourful programme. In the morning, 

around 1,000 Liechtenstein citizens will pass through the streets of St. Gallen’s city centre 

in a cheerful procession. In the afternoon, Liechtenstein citizens will be staging an arena 

programme on the OLMA site. This will therefore be the ideal day on which to experience 

Liechtenstein in person together with family and friends. In 2016, the Principality will also 

be the centrepiece of the popular OLMA animal show. This will present special aspects 

and achievements of livestock breeding in Liechtenstein. So don’t miss OLMA! 

A fascinating experience, with guaranteed positive surprises. 

41

Princely Moments 

Museum and 

Adventure Pass 

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Experience Liechtenstein. 

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42 

Liechtenstein Center 

Städtle 39, 9490 Vaduz, Liechtenstein, T +423 239 63 63, info@liechtenstein.li, www.tourismus.li/en

The high-altitude settlement 

at “Hinder Prufatscheng” 


400 year-old Walser house in Triesenberg 

Triesenberg is a traditional mountain village in Liechtenstein. With roots as a Walser settlement 

dating back to the 13th/14th century, the municipality continues to honour its venerable history. 

Patrik Birrer, Head of the Cultural Heritage Division in Liechtenstein, has studied the architecture 

of the historic houses in detail, and explains how the Walser spirit is identifiable in the settlement 

to this day. Interview: Niki Eder 

Mr Birrer, the style of the timber construction is 

often said to be typically Walser. Does a 

characteristic Walser house architecture really 

exist, and is this to be found in all Walser 

settlements? 

Patrik Birrer: Due to the forested areas and the 

availability of construction timber, wood has since 

time immemorial been the favoured construction 

material in our Alpine region. Timber architecture 

is therefore not per se typically Walser. But if one 

reflects that many Walser settlements came about 

through deforestation, use of this available wood 

for construction purposes naturally makes sense. 

In Liechtenstein, corresponding construction 

materials and construction methods are chosen for 

the three main applications of masonry, post 

construction and log construction. Use of the 

different timber construction methods changed 

over time. Post construction predates the log 

construction method, which gradually became 

established only around 1500 AD. Most were twostorey 

wooden buildings, with cellars, or the timber 

and masonry house – e.g. with a masonry kitchen. 

And what did the interior of the old Walser 

houses look like? 

Residential building typology and the development 

of their configuration was determined by the 

fireplace or hearth as the central element in a 

house. 

Patrik Birrer, 

Head of the Cultural Heritage 

Division in Liechtenstein 

43

Food/Culture 

The shift from the open hearth to the enclosed, smoke-free iron 

cooker and stove had a major impact on the development of 

residential housing. For this reason, house design remained broadly 

the same in our settlements from the Late Middle Ages to the end of 

the Second World War; the so-called “three-room house”. The 

functional subdivision of the ground floor into a parlour and sideparlour 

with kitchen to one side, and bedrooms on the upper floor 

became established as early as in the Late Middle Ages. This means 

we no longer speak of typical “Walser architecture”. In Triesenberg, 

the old wooden houses, discoloured by the sun, with their striking 

gabled façades facing towards the valley are certainly characteristic. 

The Walser Museum at the 

centre of the village of Triesenberg 

Where is the one-time dispersed Walser 

settlement still to be seen in the municipality? 

Scattered pre-historic finds and Romanic plot names 

such as Guflina, Lavadina etc. provide ample evidence 

that the area was already in use well before the arrival of the 

Walser. The Walser initially settled at higher altitudes, and spread 

down towards the valley only later. This resulted in settlements 

comprising individual hamlets. Masescha was one of the earliest 

Walser settlements, is located at an altitude of around 1,250 metres, 

and to this day is one of the most beautiful places in Liechtenstein. 

Despite the many buildings that have been constructed in recent 

decades, the old hamlets within the village are still clearly 

identifiable, and contribute towards its overall appearance. The 

high-altitude settlement on “Hinder Prufatscheng” is a very special 

and tranquil site. This originated as a settlement in a forest 

clearing. The hamlet is characterised by two homesteads dating 

from the mid-16 th and 19 th centuries, and several hay-barns. In the 

18 th century, four families lived here. A century later there were 

only two families. Since 1979, the old “Prufatschenger House”, 

which is now a protected historic monument, has been owned by 

the Municipality of Triesenberg. The municipality renovated and 

partially reconstructed the building in an exemplary fashion in 

1983/84. 

44 

Walser Culture 

Further information about 

Walser culture is available 

under: 

www.tourismus.li/walserspirit 

Many buildings in Triesenberg date back to the days of the 

Walser. In your view, which is the most important building of all? 

The St. Theodul Chapel on Masescha is of particular historical 

significance. This was the first church established by the migrant 

Walsers on Masescha. The earliest structure was probably built 

around 1300 AD, and the earliest written record of the chapel 

dates from 1465. The chapel will undergo a thorough restoration in 

the coming year. 

Many new buildings have been erected since the 1950s, and 

this has greatly changed the appearance of the village. As a 

consequence, the separate hamlets are increasingly merging 

together. What is your assessment of the architectural 

developments of Triesenberg, from a historical preservation 

viewpoint? 

All municipalities in Liechtenstein have undergone significant 

change in recent decades. On account of its typical settlement 

structure, Triesenberg has at least been able to preserve its villagelike 

character. If it continues to prove possible in future to ensure a 

healthy and high-quality mix of old houses and new buildings, 

then we will be making a significant contribution towards 

preserving the visual character of Triesenberg. There are still a 

great many historic buildings in Triesenberg. These are of 

crucial importance for the municipality’s sense of 

identity, as well as for that of Liechtenstein as a whole. 

For this reason, they need to be looked after and 

protected accordingly. 

In which areas do you personally feel that the 

one-time Walser spirit is still present in the 

municipality today? 

In recognition of their forest-clearance work, the “Free 

Walsers” were accorded special rights and freedoms by the 

country’s rulers. The “free hereditary lease”, for example, 

established particularly favourable ownership and utilisation 

rights. They were exempted from taxes, and were merely required 

to make an interest payment. In the year 1618, under the Count of 

Hohenems, the special rights of the Walsers were rescinded. That 

is to say, they became serfs, like all the other inhabitants of the 

country. Their free spirit, together with their well-developed sense 

of pride, self-assurance and idiosyncratic dialect is still tangible to 

this day. This makes it fascinating to work together with the 

“Bärgern”, to use the dialect term, and simultaneously challenging. 

For this reason, in the mainstream of the present day, the “Walser 

spirit” certainly enriches our culture in the Rhine Valley region! 

Walser tip 

For those who are interested in the myths, legends and stories of the 

ancient Walsers, the WalserSagenWeg (”Walser Saga Path”) is ideal. 

Hikers encounter bizarre figures here, such as for example the 

“Wildmannli” (“Wild Man”) or the “Feuerroten Geissbock” (“Fire-Red 

Billy-Goat”), and discover what the “Nachtvolk” (“Night People”) are all 

about. A very special adventure path. www.tourismus.li/fabletrail

Advertorial 


“Doing Everything By Hand – 

Farm Labour 100 Years Ago” 

MuseumMura has a collection of folklore objects that is 

unique in Liechtenstein. These document not just the 

development of artisanship, but also of farming. The 

current exhibition presents a selection of objects that 

highlight the topic of work in the fields. 

The Princely Liechtenstein 

Tattoo Historic Castle Ruins Schellenberg 

In 2016, the “Princely Tattoo” will be celebrating its 

5 th anniversary at the Historic Castle Ruins in 

Schellenberg. Once again, visitors will be able to 

enjoy music played by high-quality military and 

police bands from Europe, outstanding international 

ensembles, a fantastic atmosphere, unforgettable 

shows and an impressive setting. The event is 

popular amongst fans and spectators alike, on 

account of the unique charm that emanates from the 

Historic Castle Ruins in their forest setting. 

Further information & tickets 

1 to 3 September 2016 

300 participants, 7 nations / around 5,000 spectators 

www.princely-tattoo.li/en 

CULTURE IN LIECHTENSTEIN 

Duration: until March 2017 

Opening hours: every first Sunday in the month. 

1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., entrance free of charge 

Guided tours: possible during the week, by arrangement 

www.museummura.li 

Themed paths and 

educational paths 

The best way to combine recreation with the natural 

environment and knowledge? Themed paths and educational 

paths! In Liechtenstein there are 16 paths that convey 

information in a wide variety of ways. For example, the 

Researcher Path in Malbun, the Walser Saga Path in 

Triesenberg or the Cultural Path in Schaan. There is 

something for every taste. Fascinating experiences for the 

whole family are guaranteed. 

Further information: 

www.tourismus.li/themedtrails 

45

Food/Culture 

Neighbourhood Culture 

A small country like Liechtenstein cannot and should never try to cut itself off 

from the rest of the world. Globalisation is the order of the day. And has been 

since 1806, when Liechtenstein achieved independence. The nurturing of 

relations with its immediate neighbours is part of its day-to-day business, as is 

the international reach of political and economic endeavours. Culture also plays 

a part in this; it establishes points of reference for international networking. 

Text: Elisabeth Huppmann · Illustration: Stephanie Ganahl (School of Art) 

Everyone knows how valuable good neighbourly relations 

are. A small country like Liechtenstein, encompassing 

territory of only 160 km 2 , is no doubt more conscious of its 

neighbours than large countries are likely to be. An 

inherently outward perspective prevails, without losing 

sight of the country’s own particular characteristics. The 

result is rigorously nurtured neighbourly relations. 

A neighbour shares a similar environment, and 

consequently experiences similar political, economic and 

social changes. It faces the same problems and challenges 

of the present day and age. Nevertheless, it sees and 

evaluates these differently. On account of varying 

backgrounds and capabilities, different solutions may be 

attempted. To make the most of these, though, neighbours 

have to make a move in the direction of each other. One 

needs to get to know and value one another, to identify 

common ground, and not to view differences as problems, 

but instead as having fruitful potential. Far removed from 

political and economic bias, culture establishes the first 

shared points of reference. These can develop into genuine 

connections. The result is cultural networking at the 

international level. 

Culture without borders 

For in contrast to the state, culture knows no boundaries. 

It mediates in places where linguistic or sociocultural 

differences hinder exchanges. It brings people together, 

prompts discussion and presents new approaches. With its 

historic roots and long-standing development, it also 

Elisabeth Huppmann, 

Culture Manager and Culture 

Representative of the 

Municipality of 

Mauren-Schaanwald 

contributes towards a deeper sense of identity. An 

important process, and one that no country – whether large 

or small – should attempt to circumvent. “Culture in its 

entirety is huge, endless cooperation,” said the Swedish 

author August Strindberg. Each party needs to contribute 

their own ideas to this cooperation, to accede that other 

parties have different opinions, and to be open for 

innovation. This requires a degree of curiosity, which is yet 

another inherent characteristic of culture. 

The fact that over 3,000 private individuals in Liechtenstein 

– where the total population is around 37,500 – play an 

active part in associations, clubs or in the cultural field, 

demonstrates that cultural commitment in the Principality 

has a long tradition. The prosperity of the general 

population favours this private involvement, and it is also 

46


promoted by state and business sectors. In addition, numerous 

institutions with good reputations beyond national borders are also 

involved in the cultural field. This no doubt explains why a great 

many foundations have been set up to promote cultural activities. 

Thanks to the long-standing cultural involvement of all these 

parties, Liechtenstein can be seen – and has to be seen – as more 

than just a centre for finance and business, but also as a cultural 

landscape. Cultural policy endeavours of recent years, such as e.g. 

cultural agreements with Switzerland and Austria, underscore the 

determination to promote this image abroad. At the political level, 

this is realised by means of treaties. In the cultural field, crossborder 

projects and guest performances have a similar effect. 

These range from classic cultural projects such as the “Reiseziel 

Museum” cooperation project (cooperation with Voralberg), the 

“Heimspiel” art competition (cooperation with Eastern Switzerland 

and Voralberg), through guest theatrical performances staged by 

the Vienna Burgtheater and Volkstheater, the Deutsche Theatre 

Berlin or the Zurich Schauspielhaus at the TAK 

Theatre Liechtenstein, to jointly-funded 

acquisitions for the collection of the 

Liechtenstein Museum of Art 

(Ricke Collection, 2006). 

Cultural exchange 

The nurturing of 

cultural relations 

produces results not 

just in Liechtenstein 

itself. Liechtenstein 

regularly takes part 

in the Frankfurt and 

Leipzig Book Fairs, is 

part of foreign cultural 

festivals (Poolbar) and 

presents itself at major 

international cultural events 

(Venice Biennial). The Liechtenstein 

National Museum and the Liechtenstein 

Museum of Art pursue intensive exchanges at the regional 

and international levels. Such undertakings are beneficial for both 

sides, as was demonstrated by the brokering of the “Matheliebe” 

exhibition to the Egyptian Museum in Munich, and the many joint 

exhibitions that have been organised over the years. Typical for 

Liechtenstein is the fact that local interests are not overlooked 

either. Seven of the eleven political municipalities maintain their 

own cultural institutions, and almost all municipalities help to 

nurture local history and local customs through their own 

collections of cultural assets. 

Culture builds bridges 

All this clearly demonstrates how intensively Liechtenstein 

cultivates good neighbourly relations. At local, regional and 

international levels. The past has shown that culture is an 

important bridge builder. In a country that is bounded by 

mountains and the River Rhine, this factor should not be 

underestimated. Culture mediates between municipalities, 

regions and countries, operates across borders and boosts 

understanding between peoples. It helps ensure that 

neighbourliness is understood not merely as a “community of 

location” (in accordance with the sociological theory of Ferdinand 

Tönnies). Culture establishes proximity, awakens curiosity, offers 

support, highlights common ground and differences, focuses 

attention, strengthens the sense of identity and undermines 

socio-cultural boundaries. 

Involvement in outside activities helps make inside activities 

discernible. “If we were able to see ourselves 

through the eyes of our neighbours, 

we would often envy 

ourselves,” declares the 

Swiss journalist Walter 

Ludin. Liechtenstein 

understands the 

value of a 

positive outside 

perspective. 

This means the 

cultivation of 

neighbourly 

relations – 

irrespective of 

whether this is at 

the political, 

economic, social or 

cultural level – has long 

been an integral part of domestic 

cultural endeavours. The culture of a 

small country that is aware of its boundaries, yet 

sees these not as an obstacle, and instead as an opportunity. If 

culture is accorded the value it deserves, it can make an important 

contribution towards positive neighbourly relations, to living 

together in an age of increasing isolation, to exchanging ideas in 

an age of seemingly insurmountable differences. And if – as the 

Austrian dramatist Johann Nepomuk Nestroy once opined – 

“culture begins in the heart of each individual”, then each 

individual contributes towards the nurturing of good neighbourly 

relations. In short: genuine neighbourly culture! 

47

Food/Culture 

A country between 

two book covers 

Historical and entertaining whodunits and 

adventure stories are his speciality. In his 

latest work, Armin Öhri, prize-winning author 

and founder of the Liechtenstein Literary 

Salon, takes a look at Liechtenstein’s history. 

An encounter in a coffee shop with someone 

who certainly does not correspond to the cliché 

of an author, yet writes because he cannot do 

otherwise. Text: Doris Büchel · Photos: Roland Korner 

48


“Liechtenstein – Roman einer Nation” [which translates as: 

“Liechtenstein – Novel of a Nation”] is the modest title of his latest 

work. “My goal was to portrait the country of Liechtenstein,” says 

Ruggell-born Armin Öhri. He was born in 1978, and lives today 

with his family in Grabs, on the other side of the River Rhine. The 

result is a substantial novel, a national epic tale of the history of 

his home country from the 1920s to the present. “I did this by 

tracing the life of my protagonist, who was born in 1921. Through 

following the blows of fate that affected him, the reader learns 

details of Liechtenstein’s history.” The Rhine flooding of 1927 – 

the worst natural disaster that the country has ever suffered 

– features in the novel, as does the struggle for 

women’s votes and the transformation of the 

agrarian state into an industrialised nation. 

It is not the first time that Öhri has 

applied his talent to blend fiction and 

historical fact in a book. Indeed, the 38 

year-old author has a penchant for the 

classic novels of the 19 th century that 

fall into the adventure and whodunit 

genres. He is particularly fond of heavy 

tomes such as Tolstoy’s “War and 

Peace”, Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables” 

or Robert Musil’s “The Man Without 

Qualities”. In this context, curiously, Öhri 

describes “The Life and Times of Scrooge 

McDuck” by Don Rosa as “one of the most 

brilliant works in the book market. Rarely 

have I read a literary work that is so 

sophisticated and contains such a wealth of 

cross-references to all possible books, works 

of art and historical facts.” 

A huge tome 

Wednesday morning, Museum of Art Café, Vaduz. Armin Öhri 

orders latte macchiato and croissant. Isn’t an interview 

appointment at nine in the morning a little too early for an author? 

Practitioners of this profession are popularly thought to sleep until 

midday, spend the afternoon wasting their time with 

inconsequential tasks, before spending the night scribbling away 

at their desks. Öhri laughs. Quite the opposite is the case. Öhri’s 

normal working day follows a fairly strict timetable. The father of 

a four year-old son, vocational school teacher and lecturer for 

scientific writing, pursues literature on a part-time basis. “I would 

like to write much more. But for me it is a hobby that I engage in 

at a professional level.” Öhri writes because he cannot do 

otherwise. If possible, in the evenings, when the family has gone 

to bed. He remembers: “Even while at grammar school, I was 

always fascinated by the Ancient Romans. So I sat down in front 

of my computer at night and wrote my stories. Of course, I did this 

“My dream as an 

author – to publish this 

huge tome one day.” 

primarily for myself. But at the back of my mind, even then, I was 

considering the possibility of publishing a book about the age of 

Caesar one day.” While the dedicated author has still not realised 

this ambition, this is a project he is still working on. He has 

already read hundreds of original sources, and has studied 

hundreds of Roman and Latin works. “That is my dream as an 

author – to publish a huge 1,000 page tome one day.” In the 

interim, he has been entertaining his readers with the first three 

volumes of a historical whodunit series involving the principal 

character Julius Bentheim. For “Die dunkle Muse” (“The Dark 

Muse”) – Bentheim’s first case, he was awarded the European 

Union’s Prize for Literature in 2014. 

Absolute global leaders 

Armin Öhri is one of many authors who have 

emerged from Liechtenstein over the years. 

It is for this reason that the initiator of 

the Literature Salon and Chairman of 

Liechtenstein’s Authors’ Association 

“IG Wort” describes the domestic 

literary scene as being “very lively”. He 

continues: “There are quite a few authors 

who are currently publishing works on an 

ongoing basis. 2014 was the first year in 

which we saw at least eleven literary works 

published by high-profile publishers. This is 

the equivalent of one for every Liechtenstein 

municipality. We are the absolute global 

leaders at this level.” Ever since the Literature 

Salon was founded in the year 2011, the 

organisers have regularly invited well-known 

and unknown authors from the region to 

attend events, and more lately bloggers as 

well. The aim is to improve the level of 

networking within the existing literary scene. “We help each 

other, exchange ideas, offer young authors a platform, and pursue 

our goals together,” says Öhri. More recently, opportunities have 

also arisen to appear at international book fairs such as Frankfurt 

or Leipzig. “By this means we are beating the drum not just for 

ourselves, but also for the Principality of Liechtenstein.” 

Culture tip 

The Principality of Liechtenstein supports cultural creativity and 

inspires hearts and minds with a large number of museums, cultural 

monuments and international cultural exhibitions. Looking for a badweather 

programme? Then a visit to the Museum Mile in Vaduz will 

certainly put the sun back in your lives. In the field of literature, the 

Liechtenstein literary house offers a platform to domestic and 

international authors. 

www.tourismus.li/museums, www.literaturhaus.li 

49

Food/Culture 

Advertorial 

Alpin Resort *** with a view 

The high altitude is destined to have an inspiring, calming and recreational effect on its guests 

– that is the aim of JUFA Hotel Malbun – Alpin Resort***. At any rate: at the new JUFA Hotel 

there is no shortage of things to do and enjoy after a day spent on vacation, a conference or an 

excursion. 

The Austrian JUFA Hotel Chain opened its first hotel in the 

Principality of Liechtenstein in February 2016. The Alpin Resort 

located at an altitude of 1,600 metres, directly adjacent to the ski 

lifts, has proven popular from the outset. Following their first 

winter, the team is now approaching the summer season with 

élan. In addition to nature aficionados, outdoor junkies and 

families, the Alpin Resort also caters for the needs of corporate 

clients. The location amidst the Liechtenstein Alps offers the ideal 

setting for seminars, workshops or team-building units. There are 

tremendous views of the mountain peaks from the seminar rooms 

of the JUFA Hotel. The high altitude means that people with 

allergies can breathe easily, as the air is pollen-free. Mites also 

have no chance to thrive at 1,600 metres. 

In addition to two seminar rooms in the principal building, which 

can be joined together to form a single large room if required, 

another large room, 10 x 18 metres in size, is also available in the 

form of the “JUFA Compact Sports Hall”. The Arena is ideal for 

lectures or large corporate groups of 80 persons or more. All 

seminar rooms are fitted with state-of-the-art conference 

technology. The “Pradameestuba” team supplies refreshments for 

seminar breaks as well as lunch and/or evening meals. The 

Pradameestuba is the restaurant at the JUFA Hotel. All-inclusive 

one-day seminar packages are available at the JUFA Hotel Malbun 

– Alpin Resort*** from CHF 59.00 per person. 

And if the workshop is extended? Then 66 modern hotel rooms 

are available. The hotel has much to offer for the hours following 

seminars: the Alpin wellness area comprises three different 

saunas where guests can rest and relax. A fitness room is also 

provided for those with energy to burn. Football matches can also 

be played in the JUFA Arena. In the evenings, the events of the 

day can be discussed at the bar of the JUFA Hotel, and informal 

brainstorming can be pursued in preparation for the next 

workshop day. 

Facilities such as the Pradameestuba, Wellness Oasis, Restaurant, 

Sports Hall or the Childplay Area can also be used by guests who 

are not staying at the JUFA Hotel Malbun – Alpin Resort***. 

Bedroom 

Pradamestuba 

www.jufa.eu/malbun 

50 

Seminar rooms

Advertorial 


kommod – Hotel & Restaurant 

stylish, down-to-earth and special 

The restaurant is the centrepiece and meeting place at “kommod”. 

It offers seating for around 100 guests in the direct vicinity of the 

wonderful green landscape of the Ruggeller Riet. All are warmly 

welcome to meet for breakfast, or later for coffee in the kommod 

Restaurant. The varied and tasty self-service buffet offers guests 

– whether workers, business persons, hotel guests, seminar groups 

or young and old from the municipality as well as the region – a 

wide-ranging selection of fresh products. Cosy, down-to-earth and 

good value. 

kommod – Hotel & Restaurant 

Industriering 14, Ruggell 

T +423 377 37 77, www.kommod.li, info@kommod.li 

Sücka – rustic mountain 

guesthouse 

Rustic, cosy, that is the mountain guesthouse Sücka in Steg. The 

ideal venue for family events such as birthday celebrations, or 

simply a place to forget the hectic pace of day-to-day life, and to 

experience the pure Alpine world. Visitors here enjoy spectacular 

views of Samina Valley, and can pamper themselves with fine, 

mostly regional products from kitchen and cellar. Monika and 

Werner Schädler are looking forward to welcoming their guests. 

Berggasthaus Sücka, Triesenberg/Steg 

T +423 263 25 79 

www.suecka.li 

info@suecka.li 

The Superior Family Hotel 

Turna in Malbun 

At Hotel Turna, three generations attend to the needs of their guests in 

summer and winter alike. With its newly-awarded ***Superior 

category, the hotel offers a first-class family holiday in the middle of 

the environmental protection region. Directly adjacent to the entrance, 

a chairlift is available for hikers and skiers. The wellness oasis with 

splendid views of the mountain landscape ensures rest and recreation. 

Culinary delicacies, prepared by the hotelier in person, round off the 

comprehensive range of services at this holiday paradise. Our function 

room can be used by up to 120 persons for family celebrations, 

corporate events, weddings etc. The entire hotel is barrier-free. 

Hotel Turna, Triesenberg/Malbun 

T +423 265 50 40, www.turna.li 

FINE ACCOMMODATION & GASTRONOMY 

51

Food/Culture 

“I cook purist food 

with passion” 

Ruben Brunhart, you left Vienna at the age of 37 to return to your home 

country. How did this come about? 

Ruben Brunhart: My godmother, Erika “Ricki” Vogt, ran the Zentrum 

Restaurant in Balzers for 28 years together with her husband Rudolf, who 

has now sadly passed away. When they retired, they asked me if I would 

like to be her successor. 

Regional dishes with a Viennese 

twist: the toque chef Ruben A. 

Brunhart learnt his craft in 

Liechtenstein, before moving to 

Austria for 14 years. There he 

worked in a number of 

distinguished establishments. 

Now he is back in his home 

country. Since February 2015 he 

has been in charge of the 

Zentrum Restaurant in Balzers. 

A discussion about the 

challenge for a gourmet chef of 

running a family-friendly 

restaurant with a village 

character. Text: Doris Büchel 

How easy or difficult was the decision for you? 

In fact, I took the decision relatively quickly. It had for some time been 

clear to me that I would return to Liechtenstein and to my roots with my 

family, sooner or later. 

What is your assessment of the situation, one year on? 

As I grew up here, I knew broadly what to expect (laughs). Seriously, 

though: it has certainly been an advantage that people already know me. 

This helped to smooth the transition from the outset. While rumours had 

been circulating that there were plans to turn Zentrum into an exclusive 

gourmet restaurant, these concerns quickly dissipated. 

What’s wrong with being associated with an exclusive gourmet restaurant? 

For me, it was important to preserve the character of the Zentrum 

Restaurant. We are a superior quality restaurant, but not exclusive. 

Everyone should feel comfortable visiting us. Sunday strollers who want to 

enjoy a coup glacé, diners who come for a fine evening meal, businessmen 

having business lunch, or regulars who drink beer and play cards. For this 

reason we renovated sensitively. This means established guests will 

continue to feel at home. That was important to me. 

52


Doesn’t that constrain your creativity? After all, you are an ambitious 

toque-winning chef. 

I grew up in the world of gastronomy, and have always worked in 

restaurants. I like the mix here. In addition: a village like Balzers 

needs a restaurant like Zentrum. We are not in Vienna, where 

thousands of anonymous people walk past your premises every 

day. We live here in the countryside, everyone knows everyone 

else, and we have a much better idea about what people want. 

There still is plenty of scope for creativity. Compromises need 

to be made, but that is not a problem. I like the way things 

are. 

You are an excellent and award-winning chef. 

Yes, as a master chef I have always valued further training 

highly. I am a dietetically-trained chef, and also completed 

courses in the fields of tourism and business. This is 

important, because the business has not got easier in recent 

years. Gastronomy and above all cooking is very hard work! 

You have been awarded 13 Gault-Millau points. In your position, 

many people would market themselves accordingly. Yet you hardly 

mention the fact at all. 

I am very honoured by this accolade, and I am proud of my toque. But 

what is more important to me is offering my guests excellent cuisine in a 

pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. Of course I cherish my awards, but 

these do not necessarily have to be displayed on the restaurant façade. 

The Zentrum is and will remain a village restaurant. 

What characterises your cuisine? 

The menu changes frequently, as the cuisine is very seasonal. The natural 

world offers so many possibilities, and I want to make the most of them. 

Even if use regional products as often as I can, my dishes have an 

undeniable Austrian twist. Backhendl (roast chicken), for example, which 

is very popular. On the other hand I eschew the typical Vienna schnitzel 

– after all, that can be had anywhere. Of particular importance to me is 

good value for money. I do not cook with all the bells and whistles. 

Instead, I cook purist food with passion. 

For you as a chef, what are the most significant differences between 

Vienna and Balzers? 

The culinary influence of the Austrian Empire era with a Bohemian flair 

and traditionally seasoned dishes, such as for example beuschel (lights) 

and gulyas (goulash), is still strongly felt in Vienna. Here, by contrast, 

classic Alpine dishes find particular favour. In both locations, however, my 

work is never done in eight hours. 13 or 14-hour days are the norm. 

Whether in Vienna or Balzers – I stand in the kitchen most of the time 

(laughs). Of course, Vienna has more varied leisure opportunities than 

Balzers. But, like I say, I knew what I was getting myself into, and 

enthusiastically took up the challenge. 

Ruben A. Brunhart 

Ruben A. Brunhart was born in Balzers in 1977. He 

completed his apprenticeship as a chef at the Adler 

Restaurant in Vaduz. This was followed by two 

years at the legendary Hotel Real in Vaduz. The 

young chef then joined Martin Sieberer’s Trofana 

Royal in Ischgl. After Ischgl, Brunhart moved to 

Vienna, where he spent 14 years cooking in a 

number of distinguished establishments, inter alia 

in his own restaurant Rubens in the Liechtenstein 

Palace. While he left Vienna on one occasion, to 

work for Martin Real at the Heuwiese in Weite, he 

was soon drawn back to Vienna. In February 2015 

the toque-winning chef Brunhart took over the 

Zentrum Restaurant in Balzers from his godmother. 

This features a healthy mix of traditional and 

contemporary dishes. Brunhart, who was awarded 

13 Gault-Millau points in 2015, particularly values 

good value for money as well as a varied, seasonal 

menu with a Viennese twist. 

53

Food/Culture 

Cheese… 

glorious cheese! 

For most Liechtensteiners, merely the thought of this dish triggers eager 

anticipation of a delicious meal – and is simultaneously a subject for heated 

discussions. Some “Käsknöpfle” are more equal than others. 

Text: Michael Benvenuti · Photos: Oliver Hartmann 

54 

Each family has its own recipe, which is guarded like a 

priceless treasure, and is passed on to the next generation. 

Whereby the secret has less to do with the method of 

preparing the pasta, than with the cheese mixture that is 

added to the “Knöpfle”. For many decades, the mixture used 

by the Biedermann family at the “Wirthschaft zum Löwen” 

restaurant in Hinterschellenberg has been considered 

particularly successful and tasty. For many aficionados, their 

“Käsknöpfle” are quite simply the best to be found far and 

wide. 

“The best?” Othmar Oehri laughs heartily and 

shakes his head. Although his “Käsknöpfle” 

are famous far beyond the national 

borders, the Ruggell-born Oehri is 

«Fresh regional ingredients 

of the best quality: the basis 

for our recipes …» 

modest: “A definitive recipe does not 

exist. Some like them like this. Some 

like them like that.” Oehri, who 

retrained as a chef after previously 

working in other fields, does not like being in 

the limelight. “If guests like the food so much that 

they recommend us to others, then that is ample praise 

for me. Satisfied guests are the best accolade you can have.” 

In addition, it is not even his “Käsknöpfle” recipe, stresses 

Othmar Oehri, and turns his gaze to his wife Myriam. “It 

comes from her mother. And she took it on from her mother.” 

The recipe has been passed down from mother to daughter 

for generations. Othmar Oehri is the first man to whom the 

delicious secret has been revealed. The ingredients and 

method of preparation have not changed since then. The 

dish was merely brought gently into line with contemporary 

dining habits. “Why should I change the recipe?” asks 

Othmar Oehri with a broad grin. People like the “Käsknöpfle” 

dish just the way it has been prepared for 

decades.” Tradition oblige, as they say. If this maxim was 

not already so hackneyed, it would have to be written in 

capital letters above the entrance to the “Wirthschaft zum 

Löwen”, which first opened in 1847, in the picturesque 

village of Hinterschellenberg. The one-time farmhouse, 

which was built more than 450 years ago, was exactingly 

and tastefully renovated in 1975, and has been a protected 

historical building ever since. The restaurant has three cosy 

parlours, with seating for a total of 75 guests, as well as two 

terraces with a further 60 seats. The panoramic views from 

the welcoming, spacious terrace take in the landscape of the 

Ruggeller Riet and across to the Swiss side of the Rhine 

Valley, and beyond to Vorarlberg. The 

border area can be seen with the plain eye. 

“In the summer, when the meteorological 

conditions are just right, we can see all the 

way to Allgäu in Germany,” explains 

Othmar Oehri, indicating a point between 

Oberriet, the River Rhine and Kummenberg: “Even Lake 

Constance can sometimes be seen, although only as a thin, 

silvery strip.” From spring to autumn the “Löwen” is a 

popular stopover for hikers and cyclists. 

Most guests request the original “Käsknöpfle”. Also very 

popular, however, are brawn and various innards, such as 

delicate, roasted veal liver. In addition to traditional fare, the 

“Löwen” also offers varied, seasonal, contemporary dishes. 

These are overseen by Karl-Heinz “Charly” Kirschner. Born 

in Upper Austria, he spent 34 years working in some of the 

world’s most distinguished establishments around the 

world, before landing in Schellenberg a few years ago. 

Together with Myriam and Othmar Oehri, Karl-Heinz 

endeavours to bridge the gap between the tradition and 

modernity. The common denominator for all dishes: fresh 

regional ingredients of the very best quality.

Löwen recipe 

for traditional 

“Käsknöpfle” 


Ingredients for 8 portions 

600 g flour 

8 eggs 

1 dl water 

Pepper, salt and nutmeg 

Appenzell cheese 

Ripened sour cheese 

Onions 

Butter 

Preparation 

Make the flour, eggs, water, pepper, 

nutmeg and salt into a dough, and stir 

this for approx. 15 minutes. 

Pass the dough through a "Knöpfle" 

press into cold salt water. 

Allow the "Knöpfle" to swell in the water, 

and then place in a bowl together 

with grated Appenzell cheese and sour 

cheese, and mix thoroughly. 

Fry onion rings in butter until golden 

yellow, and add to the mixture. 

Serve the “Käsknöpfle” with leaf salad, 

potato salad or apple purée. 

Tip: If the “Käsknöpfle” are too dry, 

then add a little hot water before 

mixing them with the cheese. 

55

The Vorder Grauspitz is Liechtenstein’s 

highest peak at 2,599 metres 


Natural beauty 

and high-flying 

adventures 

From a geographical perspective one could say: Liechtenstein has its head in 

the clouds. Mountains comprise about half of the country. This is what makes 

the landscape so special. For the different altitudes provide space for a wide 

variety of different habitats for a large number of animal and plant species. 

A small photographic tour of the beauty of the country – from the lowest point 

in the Ruggeller Riet (430 metres above sea level) to the highest elevation, 

the Grauspitz located on the border to Grisons (2,599 metres above sea level). 

A very special natural spectacle. 

56


The Liechtenstein Alps offer boundless panoramas 

Ruggeller Riet natural conservation area 

Hiking tip: 

When one hears the evocative name “Route 66”, 

one does not immediately think of mountains. 

But there is in fact a connection. An officially 

signposted “Route 66” that crosses a whole 

country in the form of a hiking route. In three 

hiking stages, and with a pair of sturdy hiking 

boots, the Principality of Liechtenstein can be 

traversed – from the southern mountain region 

of Malbun to the most northerly municipality of 

Ruggell. A priceless natural experience that 

whets one’s appetite for more. 

www.tourismus.li/hike66 

“Route 66” passes from one end of Liechtenstein 

to the other 

57 

Photos: Franz Josef Meier (Grauspitz), Heidi Solèr, Zoom Photoclub


The hike over the Fürstensteig Trail 

and the Drei Schwestern (Three Sisters) 

is the archetypal mountain tour – an 

unforgettable Alpine experience on 

secure mountain paths for adventurers 

with sure feet and good heads for heights. 

“Where otherwise only the chamois sprang, and from 

human feet did shy, today a narrow ascent doth lead, and 

skilful hand hath sculpted the rocky crag.” Thus wrote 

Rudolf Schädler in a guestbook after climbing the 

Fürstensteig Trail for the first time in 1897. One year later, 

the Fürstensteig Trail was opened for other mountaineers. 

Today, it is considered one of the most beautiful hiking tours 

in Liechtenstein. 

Good head for heights is essential 

The Fürstensteig Trail and the Drei Schwestern are seen as 

bold and spectacularly realised mountain ascents. They are 

linked by a beautiful ridge trail with stunning panoramas. 

At 2,123 metres, the Kuhgrat (“Cow Ridge”) is the highest 

point on this varied mountain trail. This offers outstanding 

views of Rätikon and across to the Swiss and Vorarlberg 

regions. The views down to the villages along the River 

Rhine, all the way to Lake Constance, are also unforgettable, 

as is the splendid mountain vegetation. 

Panorama 

with an 

adrenalin kick 

58 

Hikers need to remember: The trail along the Fürstensteig 

and the Drei Schwestern is demanding and should only be 

attempted by adventurers with sure feet and a good head for 

heights. During the actual hiking time of two to four hours, 

a total of around 850 meters of altitude needs to be 

overcome. Adrenalin is guaranteed. In addition to small 

bridges, ladders and wooden steps, the Fürstensteig Trail 

also includes a number of exposed sections that are secured 

with railings and wires. This means the greatest challenge 

is sometimes to keep a close eye on where one is treading, 

while simultaneously enjoying the spectacular views. 

The hiking route: Gaflei – Fürstensteig– Gafleisattel – 

Kuhgrat – Garsellikopf – Drei Schwestern – Sarojasattel 

– Gafadurahütte – Planken 

Hiking tours 

Liechtenstein is a genuine eldorado 

for keen hikers, and has the right 

tour for every level of ability. Those 

who wish to discover more about 

the various tours can do so here: 

www.tourismus.li/hiking


Five Castle Tour 

On the trail of noble families 

Cycling tip 

E-bikes can be hired at the Liechtenstein Centre 

located at the heart of Vaduz. They are the perfect 

companion with which to make the most of the Five 

Castle Tour. Thanks to the boost provided by the 

electric bikes, gentle ascents can also be mastered 

without effort. 

www.tourismus.li/cycling 

59


Buchs 

The cycling tour stages 

As the name of the cycling tour suggests, the 45 

kilometre route leads past five castles and fortresses in 

Liechtenstein and Switzerland. The tour starts in Vaduz, 

the capital of the Principality of Liechtenstein. Vaduz 

Castle is the Principality’s iconic landmark, and has 

stood proudly over Vaduz for about 700 years. Since 

1938, it has been the Residence of the Princely Family. 

From Vaduz, the route proceeds to Schaan, where the 

River Rhine is crossed using the Energy Bridge, and 

then the route continues to Buchs. The Castle and the 

little town of Werdenberg have changed little since the 

13th century. The subsequent ascent to the Castle Ruins 

of Wartau can be mastered with ease using an e-bike. 

The biggest ascent on the route has now been achieved. 

After a short break, the route continues to Sargans 

Castle. Gutenberg Fortress in Balzers can be seen 

clearly from afar. This likewise dates from the 13th 

century, and sits atop a 70 metre high rocky outcrop. 

It is the last historical highlight of the Five Castles Tour. 

From here, the route continues along easy cycling paths 

back to the starting point. 

Switzerland 

Wartau 

Rhein 

Sargans 

60


Schaan 

Vaduz 


Balzers 

Photos: Martin Walser 

Tour 

information 

Further information about the 

Five Castles Tour: 

www.tourismus.li/ 

castlestour 

61


Caught 

in a net 

Between 550 and 600 species of spider have 

been identified in Liechtenstein to date. The 

smallest has a body only 1 millimetre long. 

The largest is a more impressive 2 centimetres. 

While all of them are venomous, 

none is dangerous to humans. 

Text: Michael Benvenuti 

Photos: R. & A. Kühnis-Buchmann 

ABC of spiders 

Arachnophobia derives from the Ancient Greek 

(arachne = spider, and phobos = fear), and means 

fear of spiders. 

The habitat (Latin habitat “[it] dwells”) means the 

characteristic area where a certain animal or plant 

species is to be found. 

In relation to its weight, spider silk is four times 

stronger than steel, and can be stretched to three 

times its normal length, without breaking. 

Spiders are not insects, but instead so-called Chelicerata, 

a group of articulated animals that is closely 

related to the insects, but is actually older. Almost 

all of the known 45,000 species of spider produce 

venom. 

62

HORRID SPIDER? That is certainly not how Holger Frick responds 

when he sees a spider. While the hairy eight-legged animals trigger 

fear and panic in some people, they exercise a magical attraction over 

the 36 year-old from Balzers. “I find it particularly fascinating that spiders 

experience the world very differently than we do. While perception 

for humans is mainly a visual affair, spiders achieve this through vibrations.” 

He also finds it extremely appealing that relatively little is 

known about spiders. Although the classic horror stories are regularly 

reheated in the media, the very fascinating side of spiders is left unmentioned. 

“There are species, for example, where the male dances before 

the female during the mating season. Others assume the scent of 

female moths, in order to attract males and to capture them with lassos. 

Further species have bizarrely shaped heads, reminiscent of elephant 

skulls or frog heads, or have protuberances, stalks or horns.” This diversity 

fascinates him. 

Another aspect of his passion for spiders is scientific, explains Frick: 

“Many species have yet to be discovered. The arachnid family tree is 

very long, and completely unclear in certain areas.” Holger Frick has 

even made a name for himself with his discoveries. In 2009 he became 

something of an international celebrity when he discovered a new species 

on Alp Flix in Grisons, and christened it the “Zamonic Dwarf Spider” 

– named after the fictitious continent of Zamonia in the novels of 

Walter Moers. There is no reason why science shouldn’t have a humorous 

side, says Frick with a smile. In 2012 he described another previously 

unknown species of dwarf spider (Diplocephalus guidoi) in Italy, 

and named it after his deceased grandfather, “whose fascination for nature 

helped to shape my own outlook.” 

To date, no spider has been found that is exclusively indigenous to Liechtenstein. 

But with some 550 to 600 species of spider, the small Principality 

certainly has a great variety of species. This is because a huge range 

of altitudes exist within Liechtenstein’s very compact territory, meaning 

that a correspondingly large number of habitats are to be found. The 

largest species found in Liechtenstein include the wasp spider, the 

cross spider and the raft spider with a body length of around 2 

centimetres. The smallest specimens are practically impossible to 

see with the naked eye. The body of the dwarf spider Glyphesis 

servulus, for example, measures only 1 millimetre. All domestic 

spiders produce venom. “But only a small number are able to pierce 

human skin. As a rule, the bites are not more dangerous then 

wasp stings,” says Frick, reassuringly. 

The biologist finds it impossible to imagine a world without spiders, 

even if that sounds like paradise for arachnophobes. “Without spiders, 

our lives would be very uncomfortable. Like wolves or eagles, they are 

high up the food chain. They are amongst the most important predators 

in the Northern Hemisphere.” Collectively, the spiders in Liechtenstein, 

for example, eat thousands of tons of insects every year. This corresponds 

to a layer that would be 10 to 20 centimetres deep,” Frick estimates. 

Not a pleasant thought either. Not even for arachnophobes. 

The well-known spider researcher and keen comic reader: 

Holger Frick from Balzers in Liechtenstein 

Yellow spider 

Four-spot orb weaver 

Wasp spider 

Bild: Jean-Jacques Ruchti 

63

Natur/Freizeit 


When Thury Meier 

takes the Täli Lift to 

his mountain station 

early in the morning, 

he enjoys the fabulous 

views and the calm 

before the storm. 

64


When the 

mountain station calls 

He is something of a character: Thury Meier. For the past 16 years 

the bearded 65 year-old has worked as a lift operator at the Täli 

Mountain Station in Liechtenstein’s ski region. Everyone knows 

his impish grin, everyone values his sense of duty. Malbun 

without Thury? Unimaginable! Text: Niki Eder · Photos: Martin Walser 

The words “Hoi Thury!” ring out every few seconds – and 

do so from 9 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. A 

friendly “Hoi!” is as frequently uttered in reply, coupled 

with a broad, bearded grin. Thury Meier is probably the 

most greeted person in Liechtenstein – at least during the 

winter season. For the past 16 years the Lucerne-born lift 

employee has worked at the Täli Mountain Station, and 

everyone who tries their skiing luck in Malbun is familiar 

with his square jaw and warm, direct manner. “Of course, 

I can’t remember the names of every skier,” says the 65 

year-old with a chuckle. “But I am good at remembering 

faces and voices.” 

Weatherproof and accustomed to the cold 

Technically, Thury Meier could have retired a year ago. 

But he’s not one to twiddle his thumbs. And his links to 

the Täli Station are simply too strong. “Fortunately, my 

colleagues at the Malbun mountain lift company have 

never tried to take my job,” says Thury with a smile. 

“Perhaps what keeps them at bay is the fact that the sun 

takes ages to reach the Mountain Station.” Ages is meant 

here in the literal sense of the word. It is only towards the 

end of February that the first rays of sunlight begin to 

peer over the top of the mountains. The 65 year-old knows 

precisely when: “Ever since the modern six-seater 

chairlift became operational in the year 2006, the sun 

has appeared on 14 February. In the case of the previous 

two-seater station, which was slightly lower down the 

mountain, the sun appeared between 8 and 9 February.” 

Thury Meier has never missed the warming rays of 

sunlight, though. He doesn’t like “heat”. As far as he is 

concerned, in fact, it cannot get too cold. “In the old days, 

the temperatures were much more extreme,” he says. 

“I would be at the lift when the temperature was minus 

24 degrees, and I only had a tiny shelter in which to keep 

myself warm.” No comparison with the generous cabin 

that has now been placed at his disposal. But despite the 

comforts, Thury still prefers to stand outside, directly by 

the lift. “I simply enjoy meeting people.” 

The Täli Station before the construction 

of the modern six-seater chair lift. 

65

«To see clear, 

it often needs a change 

of perspective only.» 

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 

Landstrasse 153, 9494 Schaan 

Niederlassung Unterland 

Haldenstrasse 5, 9487 Bendern 

www.bvd.li 

66



It was originally intended that employees would monitor the 

equipment from their place of work behind the glass panel. 

But because Thury wanted to work outside, a special 

outdoor cable was laid for him, and a stop button for the lift 

was fitted. 

An eventful life 

Thury Meier is a man of many abilities. When he was 

young, he first trained as a confectioner – an occupation 

that he switched for that of a truck driver as soon as he had 

completed his apprenticeship. In order to offset the shortage 

of work in the winter, at the age of 37 he began driving 

piste vehicles in Brigels, where the managers swiftly 

spotted the young man’s potential. In addition to being 

responsible for the pistes, he was promptly put in charge of 

a snow bar at an altitude of 2,100 meters above sea level. 

Throughout the next 12 winters, the order of the day was: 

up into the mountains early in the morning with the piste 

vehicle – and then off to manage the snow bar. 

When Thury Meier read that they were looking for a new 

lift operator in Malbun, he thought that the time had come 

for a change. He applied, made a good impression, and took 

up his new position in Liechtenstein just a few weeks later. 

He has been responsible for operating the Täli Mountain 

Station ever since – a task that he continues to pursue with 

the same dedication. Later, he was also deployed as a piste 

vehicle driver, and for around five years he actually had an 

all-year job with the Malbun mountain lift company. 

“Mr Fastidious” 

Thury Meier is an easy-going fellow. Except where his 

mountain station is concerned. That’s when he becomes 

“Mr Fastidious himself”, as he likes to say. “The most 

exacting lift operator ever.” In fact: “When I have a day off, 

and don’t find everything just the way it should be upon my 

return, I can get pretty ratty,” he concedes. And for a 

moment his face darkens. “It’s just that I know precisely 

how everything needs to be for the lift to operate smoothly.” 

There is certainly no shortage of tasks for him to do. The 

workload can be heavy, particularly when seasonal winds 

blast through the mountains. This can make it difficult to 

prepare the lift station exit. “With this work, I am 

beginning to notice that I’m no longer as young as I used to 

be,” Thury Meier admits. “In the past, I would shovel the 

snow away all by myself. Today I have to call my colleagues 

in the Valley Station, and ask them for help when the 

snowdrifts get too high.” 

It is “his” Täli station, “his” Malbun. Thury Meier loves his 

place of work so much, even after 16 years, that he is even 

drawn here when he is off duty – at least during the winter 

months. “It is simply a beautiful place,” he says. “The ski 

Thury Meier – his face is familiar to everyone 

in Malbun 

resort is small, clearly structured and friendly. People don’t 

get lost here. Irrespective of what pistes they are on, 

eventually they always find their way back to the centre.” 

In the past, he was a keen skier himself. But after two hip 

operations, Thury Meier has begun to take things a little 

easier. “When I have time off, I take the lift to the Sareis 

mountain restaurant, where I meet up with a convivial 

bunch of senior citizens. We always have a whale of a time.” 

And when evening approaches, when the other skiers clip 

themselves into their equipment, he simply takes the lift 

back down again. 

And what does Thury Meier do in the summer? He certainly 

doesn’t laze around. He helps out a friend who runs the 

mountain farm Maiensäss. “Anyway, it’s much too warm in 

the valley, so I am drawn to the heights,” he explains. “I 

love the mountain air.” Above all, mountain air that smells 

of snow. And when autumn approaches, he itches to get 

back to his Täli mountain station – this is a mountain call 

that Thury Meier has never been able to resist. 

Malbun tip: 

In addition to the 23 kilometres of pistes, the winter sport 

resort of Malbun has a great deal more to offer. For 

example, 15 kilometres of prepared cross-country trails, 

romantic winter hiking routes, an ice rink as well as an 

ice climbing tower wait to be explored by keen athletes 

and families in search of rest and recreation. In 

combination with the friendly atmosphere, this makes 

Malbun the perfect place to experience a very individual 

winter fairy tale. 

www.tourismus.li/winterfun 

67


Tina’s sense of 

snow 

Born into a family of Olympic winners and world champions, now Tina 

Weirather is herself a star in the international ski circus, and carries 

the hopes of Liechtenstein fans for World Cup victories and medals. 

Text: Michael Benvenuti 

She was perhaps predestined to be a talented sportsperson. Her mother Hanni 

Wenzel is a double Olympic champion, four-time World Champion, Overall World 

Cup Winner of 1978 and 1980. Her father Harti Weirather secured the Downhill 

Cup in 1981, and was crowned Downhill World Champion in Schladming in 

1982. Tina was clever enough to pick only the best traits from both her parents, 

declares mother Hanni with a laugh. “From her father she has the enthusiasm 

for downhill courses as well as speed, while from me she got the sense of snow.” 

Tina, whose real name is Christina, first ventured out onto the pistes at the 

tender age of two and a half. “That was the “Red Devils” ski course in Kitzbühl,” 

recalls Hanni Wenzel. It was the beginning of a burning passion. “Tina’s 

favourite activity has always been skiing. She would keep her ski boots on at 

lunch, in order not to lose time, and she was on the piste from early morning 

until the lifts stopped operating at the end of the day.” In 1992 Klein-Tina 

was a forerunner at the “Hanni Wenzel Cup”, two years later she 

began ski racing herself, and quickly put paid to any doubts 

about her exceptional talent. 

68


Photos: GEPA pictures/Harald Steiner 

the Schaan Ski Club athlete suffered a serious crash and 

tore cruciate ligaments in both her knees. The next 

cruciate ligament injury occurred one year later, when she 

crashed while training in Pitztal. In January 2010, she 

suffered cruciate ligament injury number four on the 

Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill run. 

Risk of injury never goes away 

So it comes as no great surprise, one might think, that in 

the interim Tina Weirather has already won 6 World Cup 

races, has secured a total of 26 podium finishes, and ended 

the 2015/16 Overall World Cup a strong fourth. Yet the 

development from a one-time wunderkind to an absolute 

top racer has not always been smooth. Now aged 27, she 

has had to overcome many setbacks on her way to the top. 

For there is an ever-present risk of injuries, and she has 

suffered many injuries over the years. The first major 

injury occurred when she was aged just 17, shortly after 

she had been crowned Junior World Downhill Champion. 

While training on the World Cup ski run in Lenzerheide, 

The first two serious ligament injuries did not trouble Tina 

greatly. The third was tough, while the fourth was “like 

the end of the world,” she once said during an interview 

with the former Liechtenstein ski racer Marco Büchel. “I 

had to think long and hard about whether it made sense to 

go on. Eventually, I decided to give it another try.” The 

decider was an internship at a life insurer. That’s when it 

really became clear to her. “Skiing is simply the best thing 

there is. If you have the chance to experience the training, 

to be part of a team, to travel, to meet a lot of people, to be 

outdoors, to test your limits every day… if you have this 

chance – and perhaps only two in a hundred ever will – 

then you simply have to seize it by the horns.” 

69

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So she swapped her office job and computer work for life in the 

fresh outdoors, for snow and skis. This was greatly to the regret of 

her father Harti Weirather, incidentally, who had been 

encouraging her to retire from the sport. He still has uneasy 

feelings when watching his daughter’s career. “As the father of a 

daughter, you would prefer your precious child to be safely 

wrapped up in cotton wool from start to finish. Or you would 

prefer her to pursue cross-country skiing.” 

Like mother, like daughter 

For Tina Weirather, however, cross-country skiing was never going 

to be an option. She originally wanted to become a journalist. Plan 

A, though, had always been professional skier. Until she reached 

the age of eleven, she played tennis regularly during the summer 

months, trained by Melanie Molitor, the mother of the star Swiss 

player Martina Hingis. But then two different sports became too 

much to manage, and she decided to concentrate on skiing alone. 

Her mother, Hanni Wenzel, accepted her daughter’s decision: “I 

endeavoured, first and foremost, to pass my own passion for sport 

on to my children.” In this she certainly succeeded. In addition, 

she also eased the immense pressure on her daughter, who was 

following in the huge footsteps of her parents. “From the outset, I 

wanted to ensure that Tina could develop her own personality. As 

the daughter of Hanni and Harti, she had been under pressure and 

close observation from her earliest childhood – this was 

unpleasant. For this reason, we frequently told her: “Irrespective 

of who we are, you are you. Your own needs are paramount, not 

ours.” Tina states that she does not feel any pressure. Quite the 

contrary: “I am proud of my parents, and happy to have people 

with so much experience around me.” 

Even if the saying “like mother, like daughter” applies to Hanni 

and Tina in many ways, they have very different natures. While 

Hanni was an introverted athlete, Tina is a real team player, feels 

completely at ease in a team, and has a number of close friends in 

the ski circus. These include Anna Veith (formerly Fenninger) and 

Lara Gut, her direct rivals when it comes to World Cup victories 

and medals. But unlike Fenninger, Gut or US superstar Lindsey 

Vonn, Tina Weirather is not an athlete who polarises and supplies 

the media with material for sensational stories. “I am perhaps a 

little boring,” she laughs. She doesn’t insult people, nor is she 

envious of their successes. 

Drawing up level with her father 

Whereby she has no need to be envious. For Tina Weirather has 

achieved a great many successes of her own. In the 2011/12 

season she was the world’s second-best downhill racer, after 

Lindsey Vonn. On 1 March 2013 she celebrated her first World Cup 

victory at the Super G event in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and was 

the first daughter of a former World Cup winner to follow in the 

footsteps of her mother and win a World Cup of her own. During 

the following season, Weirather confirmed her top form in the 

speed disciplines, and also became one of the world’s top 

Her Super-G victory at the World Cup final in St. Moritz was Tina Weirather’s 

sixth, causing her to draw level with her father Harti Weirather. Photo: GEPA 

Pictures/Harald Steiner 

performers in the giant slalom. As a reward for the triumph in the 

giant slalom at Val d’Isère, she actually led the overall World Cup 

rankings for a whole week. This was followed by her victory in the 

downhill event in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in March 2015, and her 

success in the Super-G of La Thuille in February 2016. At the 

World Cup final in St. Moritz in mid-March 2016, Tina Weirather 

triumphed in the Super-G. This was her sixth World Cup victory, 

causing her to draw level with her father Harti Weirather. At the 

same time, she passed the magic 1,000 point mark by coming 

fourth in the Overall World Cup, and is carrying the hopes of 

many ski fans that Tina will one day secure the top prize for the 

small Principality – just like her mother 

Hanni Wenzel did in her own day. 

Tina Weirather 

Born: 24 May 1989 

Place of birth: Vaduz 

Club: SC Schaan 

World Cup debut: 

22 December 2005 

World Cup victories: 6 

Overall World Cup: 4 th (2015/16) 

Downhill World Cup: 2 nd (2011/12) 

Super-G World Cup: 2 nd (2015/16) 

Other victories: RTL Giant Slalom Junior World 

Champion 2006, Downhill Junior World Champion 2007 

71


National 

team lodestar 

Following their first competitive international match, 

Liechtenstein’s national team players were delirious 

with joy, hugged each other and celebrated their 

triumphant achievement: a 1:4 defeat in Belfast against 

the “great” Northern Ireland. But these days 

are over. Expectations and standards in 

the Principality have risen, the 

one-time football minnow has 

grown up. Text: Michael Benvenuti 

Photo: Roland Korner · Bildcomposing: Büro für Gebrauchsgraphik, Vaduz 

72 

FL National Football Team 

First international match, 9 March 1982, 

in Balzers 

Liechtenstein – Switzerland 0 : 1 

Highest victory: 13 October 2004, 

in Luxembourg 

Luxembourg – Liechtenstein 0 : 4 

Heaviest defeat, 9 November 1996, in Eschen 

Liechtenstein – Macedonia 1 : 11 

Record number of appearances: Mario Frick 

(125) 

Record goal scorer: Mario Frick (16)


Nobody could describe the development of Liechtenstein’s National 

Football Team better than Mario Frick. Now aged 41, Balzers-born 

Frick holds the record number of appearances for the team (125), 

and shot the highest number of goals (16). In 1994, he played during 

Liechtenstein’s very first competitive international match, and also 

played during the most recent such match in 2015. “Mario Frick is 

the barometer of the National Team,” says Radio-L Sports Director 

Chrisi Kindle of the current player/ 

trainer at FC Balzers. “No other player 

so perfectly embodies the development 

from simple cannon fodder to the 

present-day team.” 

Reeling after 60 minutes 

Cannon fodder, punch-bag, points 

supplier. Those were the terms most 

frequently used to describe 

Liechtenstein during the early days of 

its international career. But this was 

not entirely without justification, as 

Mario Frick recalls. “We were an 

amateur team, a very weak amateur 

team.” There were huge differences in 

the abilities of individual team 

members. “At the latest 60 minutes into the game, we were reeling.” 

Expectations were correspondingly rock-bottom. This sometimes 

meant that even defeats were celebrated deliriously. Like the 1:4 on 

20 April 1994 at Windsor Park Stadium in Belfast against Northern 

Ireland. “We sat in the whirlpool and celebrated the defeat as if it had 

been a triumphant victory. The very first goal scored during a 

competitive match – it was fantastic.” The goal was scored by the 

substituted Daniel Hasler, today Co-Trainer at FC Vaduz. 

It was to be a number of years before Mario Frick scored his first goal 

for Liechtenstein. In 1997, during the 1:8 wipe-out versus Romania, 

the nimble striker put the ball in the net and brought the score to the 

provisional total of 1:7. By the time he ended his career on 12 

October 2015 after the 0:3 defeat against Austria in Vienna, Frick had 

scored a further 15 times for Liechtenstein. His professional career 

saw him move from Switzerland to Italy, where he even successfully 

scored goals in the Serie A. Although he can still recall every detail 

of all his goals, Mario Frick’s greatest moment occurred on 7 

September 2010, when he marked his 36 th birthday at the legendary 

Hampden Park Stadium against Scotland by putting Liechtenstein 1:0 

in the lead. The goal that levelled the score at 2:2 in Freiburg against 

Germany on 7 June 2000 is also unforgettable. At the end of the day, 

admittedly, it was not enough. Thanks to 5 goals during the final 10 

minutes of the game, Goliath swept fatigued David from the pitch 

with 8:2. 

Excitement versus Portugal 

He didn’t always enjoy tying his shoelaces for his home country, 

Mario Frick confesses. “The first few years were tough.” Particularly 

The double sweeper idea 

During his 22 years in the National Team, Mario 

Frick experienced a great deal. Above all many 

different trainers. One remains particularly fresh 

in his memory: the Austrian Alfred Riedl with his 

often spontaneous ideas. “One day he came to us 

a few hours before the kick-off, and said: “Lads, 

I’ve had an idea, today we are going to play with a 

double sweeper.” Our own team, which had never 

tried this formation in training before, was 

probably more surprised by Riedl’s coup than the 

opposition – Romania won 8:0. 

for a player like Frick, for whom only two things counted: scoring 

goals and winning. “I was never a fan of the Olympic spirit of “being 

there is everything”. The situation improved tangibly after 2003, 

under the Trainer Walter Hörmann, stresses Frick. “He modernised 

our playing system.” Everything became more professional, training 

opportunities, analyses, the players themselves. Under Hörmann’s 

successor Martin Andermatt – a proven tactician – Liechtenstein 

generated an international furore. On 

9 October 2004, Liechtenstein 

withstood Portugal and its superstars 

Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco and Pauleta 

during the qualification for the 2006 

World Cup; played at home, the final 

score was 2:2. This can still be said to 

be the National Team’s greatest 

success to date. It was the first point 

earned by Liechtenstein during a 

World Championship qualifier. 

Four days later, in an away match, the 

Liechtenstein squad swept 

Luxembourg out of the competition 

with a 4:0 score. This was also its 

first-ever away victory. Its punchingbag 

reputation was set aside for once and for all. While Liechtenstein 

used to be seen as a welcome, knock-over opponent, in recent years 

the team has become a dangerous outsider that has occasionally cost 

trainers their jobs. “Some left voluntarily, while others were forced 

out because their team failed to beat us,” recalls Frick. 

Comeback as team trainer 

Despite the many defeats – Mario Frick is the first player to have lost 

100 international matches – he now looks back fondly on his time in 

the squad. “It was a wonderful time, and helped to make me the man 

I am. I learnt a great deal, and matured.” And the team learnt and 

matured too. 

With the European Championship qualifier on 12 October 2015 in 

Vienna versus Austria (0:3), Mario Frick ended his career in the 

team. Originally a striker, he had come to be deployed as an inside 

defender. The end of his career? “From the current perspective, yes,” 

he answers with a grin. “But never say never.” For one particular 

match would certainly tempt him back: away against Italy, within the 

context of the qualifications for the 2018 World Cup. Italy is Frick’s 

second home, he played and lived here from 2000 to 2009. 

A comeback by Mario Frick would probably not be blocked by the 

resistance of the current National Team Trainer, René Pauritsch. 

Quite the contrary, in fact. According to Frick, Pauritsch has on a 

number of occasions offered him the opportunity to return. Whereby 

a return to the Liechtenstein National Team has indeed been planned 

by the friendly Balzers-born Frick: “I stated a number of years ago 

that one of my major goals was to train the National Team one day.” 

73

Stuttgart 

270 km 

Principality of 


Germany 

Munich 

240 km 

Basel 

190 km 

Berne 

230 km 

Zurich 

110 km 

Lake Constance 

Austria 

Innsbruck 

170 km 

Switzerland 

Italy 

Milan 

250 km 

Liechtenstein facts & figures 

Surface area: 160 km 2 

Number of inhabitants: 37,366 

State form: constitutional hereditary monarchy based upon 

democratic and parliamentary principles 

Municipalities: 11, Capital: Vaduz 

Topography: Lowest point Ruggeller Riet 430 metres above sea-level, 

highest point Grauspitz 2,599 metres above sea-level, 

Dimensions: 24.8 km long and 12.4 km wide 

Employees by economic sector: 38.8 % industry, 0.8 % farming, 

and 60.4 % services 

Currency: The legal tender in Liechtenstein is the Swiss franc (CHF). 

Euros are accepted in most areas. 

National public holiday: 15 August, www.staatsfeiertag.li 

Country dialling code: +423 

Source: Office of Statistics, population statistics 31 Dec. 2014 

Legal notice 

Published by: Liechtenstein Marketing, Äulestrasse 30 • 9490 Vaduz • Concept: Liechtenstein Marketing Medienbuero Oehri 

& Kaiser AG, Eschen • Editorial coordination: Liechtenstein Marketing • Graphics/layout: Medienbuero Oehri & Kaiser AG 

Lithography: PREPAIR Druckvorstufen AG, Schaan • Acquisition and distribution: Allmedia AG, Schaan • Printing: BVD 

Druck+Verlag Schaan • Print run: 7,000 copies (English edition) • Appearance: June 2016 

Shooting: Old Rhine Bridge Vaduz-Sevelen • Photographer: Roland Korner • Models: Alexandra Lanter and Philip Skaro (title 

page), Malin and Björn Willinger (pages 37 and 41) 

74

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