oho #4 - The magazine of the Principality of Liechtenstein

oho 

The magazine of 

the Principality of Liechtenstein 

#4 2017/18 

State/Princely House 

Business/Education 

Food/Culture 

Environment/Leisure 

Achieving further 

improvements is important 

Taking on the pioneering 

role of excellence 

2000 years of good taste 

The joy of pristine nature

“Hoi metanand” 

It’s never too late to learn 

Dear reader, you are holding in your hands the fourth 

issue of oho magazine. As in the first three issues, we 

have chosen a central issue on which we wish to base 

the magazine. This time around, we’ve focused our attention 

on one of the most important matters a country 

can have – education. For Liechtenstein, education is a 

particularly important issue, especially because the 

Principality has no natural resources. And it is precisely 

for this reason that Liechtenstein has repeatedly been a 

pioneer in the field of education. It’s worth pointing out, 

for example, that Liechtenstein was the first country to 

provide a general compulsory education system regulated 

by law. Furthermore, the country has repeatedly 

managed to achieve top rankings in the PISA study and 

obtain gold medals at the vocational WorldSkills championships. 

This issue of our magazine offers you the 

opportunity to get to know Lukas Beck, 2016 gold medallist 

in Rio. In other interviews and background stories we 

also present the unique features which make Liechtenstein’s 

school system so special as well as the challenges 

which still await us in the future. I hope you gain many 

new and thrilling insights into the Principality of Liechtenstein 

and enjoy reading oho#4. 

Christian Wolf 

Chairman of the Board of Directors 

Liechtenstein Marketing 

Getting to grips with challenges – together! 

In my capacity as the new Minister of Education, I am 

especially pleased that Liechtenstein Marketing has made 

education a key issue this year. Investment in education 

also means an investment in the future of Liechtenstein. 

The Principality has an excellent and highly differentiated 

education system. It is no longer the case that young 

people must choose between vocational or academic education. 

Liechtenstein is very good at linking theory to 

practice through the dual education system. Apprenticeships, 

for example, can be linked to the Vocational Baccalaureate. 

On the other hand, and as an alternative to going 

down the vocational education route, young people can 

also choose to graduate from grammar school with the 

Matura examination before embarking on a course of 

studies in tertiary education. “Nothing in the world is 

more constant than change.” With these words, the English 

naturalist Charles Darwin came up with a timeless 

quotation. Quite simply, our education system also needs 

continuously to evolve in line with today’s rapid developments 

in society, if only to meet both the challenges of today 

and those of tomorrow. In addition to simply imparting 

knowledge, I also believe that high priority must be 

given to promoting personal, social and methodological 

skills. After all, and for me at least, learning is always a 

combination of setting challenges and nurturing talent, 

both at the same time. 

I look forward to dealing with current and future 

challenges in the field of education, together with all 

the stakeholders involved. 

Dominique Gantenbein 

Minister of Education 

3

oho#4 



Achieving further improvements is important 6 

Law and nothing but 14 

Learning L2 like L1 17 

Getting the best out of the one raw material 22 

“I didn't want to take part in at first” 26 

Education 4.0: MINT subjects in the spotlight 30 

Sovereignty as a recipe for success 34 

Hi-tech is also a girl thing 40 

Back from the future 42 

4

Culture/Taste 


A sip of Liechtenstein 48 

Bringing smiles to people’s faces 50 

Culture in Liechtenstein 53 

“I never really wanted to write my own book” 56 

Event highlights 2017/2018 60 

A lifelong apprentice 62 

Made in Liechtenstein 64 

Long days, short nights 68 

The skis he makes mean the world to him 72 

Liechtenstein from a bird's eye view 74 

In and around Liechtenstein by bike 78 

5

Staat/Fürstenhaus 

6



Achieving further 

improvements is 

important 

7


In this oho interview, HSH Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein talks 

about the importance of education in Liechtenstein and recalls his own 

schooldays. For the future of education he believes it is particularly important 

to make Liechtenstein’s education system more attractive for 

teachers and to ensure it keeps up with the rapid pace of technological 

development. 

Text: Joël Grandchamp · Photos: Roland Korner 

Your Highness, every schoolchild has their favourite 

subjects as well as subjects they’d prefer to see 

banned from the curriculum during their time at 

school. What were yours and why? 

HSH Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein: 

My favourite subjects were history and sport. I suppose 

my interest in History as a subject was due to 

my own particular family history. I'd enjoyed sports 

already before I went to school. Music lessons were 

a bit of a drag, mainly because I’m not very gifted 

in this regard. 

What are the biggest changes which have taken 

place between the education system as you knew 

it from your own school days and the one today – 

which you probably know, for example, from listening 

to your children? 

The biggest change I noticed came as a result of 

computerisation and, in part, the much greater emphasis 

placed on the English language. Another major 

change is the individualisation of school lessons, 

which is probably also due to the fact that students 

have become more mixed and diverse in general. 

What do you think about this form of individualisation? 

Is it positive or negative? 

I think that provided the necessary discipline is 

ensured, increased individualisation in teaching is 

definitely a positive development, because the way a 

child learns best can be different from one child to 

the other. Today, we definitely know more about this 

than ever, and this new knowledge is also applied in 

the classroom. 

You began your education in Liechtenstein. What do 

you still remember about your experiences at the time 

and what insights did you gain from your own education 

which help you to carry out your role today? 

I have good memories of my school days in Liechtenstein. 

I am grateful today that we were able to enjoy a very broad 

education in grammar school. Given that I deal with a wide 

variety of issues in my role, a good all-round education and 

general knowledge are very useful for my work. Useful 

was also to learn how to deal with many subjects and be 

disciplined in your approach to work. 

No course of study exists to prepare you for your tasks 

as a future head of state. How have you been preparing 

yourself for this role? 

On the one hand, by choosing law I embarked on a course 

of studies which have definitely helped me in my current 

duties. On the other, I spoke, especially with my father, 

and sometimes even with my grandfather, time and again 

about their work and did my best to learn from their example. 

In addition, my father frequently took me along 

to meetings and official events. I learned a lot from that. 

Would you have preferred to study something else in 

other circumstances? 

Although I’ve always had an interest in history, I think 

I would probably still have opted for a degree in law or 

business studies. 

8


The biggest change 

I noticed was the 

emergence of IT. 

9

Hyacinthe Rigaud, detail from “Portrait of Prince Joseph Wenzel I von Liechtenstein”, 1740 

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You completed a training course to become an 

officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 

in England. Will your son Joseph Wenzel also be 

going to Sandhurst and how did you benefit from 

this course? 

My son is still in the middle of his studies, but he 

might decide to go to Sandhurst at a later date. Personally 

speaking, I think one of the things I gained 

from my experience at the Royal Military Academy 

was that I had to take responsibility for other people 

at a very young age. Of course it’s a valuable experience 

if you have the opportunity to get to know foreign 

cultures or the way people live in other situations, 

whether it’s through military training or 

comparable experiences, as a young person, and 

to be obliged to assume responsibility early on in 

life. These are important schools for life, I think. 

A few years have already passed since the last education 

reform. Can Liechtenstein afford to remain 

stuck with the status quo in view of rapid technological 

and social developments? 

Although Liechtenstein has a very good education 

system and achieves top marks in international comparison 

tests, the rapid pace of technological and 

social developments means that we need to keep improving 

our education system. With targeted reforms 

we should design our education system in such a 

way that it becomes even more attractive for teachers, 

responds even better to the needs of pupils and 

can therefore react faster and more flexible to all 

kinds of developments. 

Both you and your father, Prince Hans-Adam II, 

have previously proposed the introduction of socalled 

education vouchers. To what extent is this 

still an important issue which needs to be addressed 

in your opinion? 

I am convinced that the sensible way to finance 

schools would, in principle, be for state funds to follow 

the students, not the other way around. Education 

vouchers are not absolutely necessary in this 

case. It might even be better for the compulsory 

school sector if all schools accredited by the state 

would also receive certain fixed amounts in addition 

to a funding scheme based on the number of pupils. 

Is there a school system which already works 

in this way? 

Unfortunately, there are virtually no useful examples out 

there which we can use in this regard. However, there 

are states in which partial elements of our approach have 

been introduced – the closest perhaps is the Dutch education 

model. But to my knowledge, the model I have in 

mind hasn’t been introduced yet by any state. 

So might there be a chance that Liechtenstein 

once again takes over a pioneering role in regard 

to education? 

Given the importance of education for our future, our 

ambition should be that we have not just a good, but the 

best education system. Obviously, our education system 

should always be understood in its regional context – 

especially when it comes to further education in the tertiary 

sector. Here, we are dependent on our neighbours 

in Austria and Switzerland offering attractive universities. 

Fortunately, we find ourselves in an extremely good 

neighbourhood with outstanding universities in the immediate 

vicinity. 

Given the mass immigration initiative which Switzerland 

has undertaken, the issue of lack of skilled workers 

comes up again and again. What significance does 

education in Liechtenstein have for the national economy 

and Liechtenstein as an attractive location for 

doing business? 

Liechtenstein’s national economy has many highly specialised 

companies that require skilled workers. Consequently, 

the importance of a good education system in 

Liechtenstein – and in the region – for the success of 

Liechtenstein’s companies and its economic location is 

considerable. 

Do you think that educational opportunities in the 

region are sufficient to offset a possible shortage of 

skilled workers which might result from the mass 

immigration initiative? 

In addition to compulsory education and excellent universities, 

we also benefit from our sophisticated dual education 

system. If young people choose not to go down the 

academic route after their compulsory school education, 

they can always opt for a superb professional alternative 

with apprenticeships, a vocational baccalaureate and a 

11

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12


University of Applied Sciences enabling them even to 

attain a university-level degree in Liechtenstein. Nevertheless 

we should also think more about reforms, 

also in the field of adult education. People in the middle 

of their working lives require excellent training 

opportunities more than ever, especially in view of 

the rapid pace of technological development. 

What is the position of the University of Liechtenstein 

in this regard? 

Of course the University of Liechtenstein should 

above all also educate the skilled workers which 

Liechtenstein’s businesses need. It has already been 

very active in this regard for several years. It would 

certainly make sense that both the University and 

Liechtenstein’s companies take a close look as to how 

forms of cooperation in training qualified personnel 

can be optimised still further to their mutual benefit. 

Culture plays an enormous role in Liechtenstein. 

How important is cultural education in the 

Principality? 

With its music school and school of art, Liechtenstein 

offers extremely good opportunities for young 

people to enjoy cultural education. I should also add 

that the Liechtenstein Gymnasium (grammar school) 

provides a broad cultural education. As a result, culture 

and cultural education are highly important in 

Liechtenstein. 

What insights or tips would you pass on to children 

on the basis of your personal experiences with 

regard to education? 

Most pupils at school would prefer to focus on their 

favourite subjects – I was no exception in this regard. 

But as an adult, you notice that it is extremely useful 

to enjoy a broad, general education for as long as possible. 

In addition to accumulating knowledgeduring your 

time at school is important that you learn to work in a 

disciplined and efficient way and that you acquire also 

skills which are not necessarily graded or evaluated in 

the form of examinations. 

HSH Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein 

What did you want to be when you were a child? 

As far as I can remember, I never really had any special career 

aspirations. Perhaps that was because I was already aware at 

an early stage of what my profession would ultimately be. 

What were the most important stages in your 

educational career? 

In addition to my school education in Liechtenstein, law studies 

in Austria as well as my officer training course in the 

UK, it was the years I spent working at an accounting firm in 

London and my subsequent work for many different areas of 

the Princely Family’s assets. 

What do you still appreciate the most from your time 

in education? 

A wealth of general knowledge, learning how to work in a 

disciplined way and taking on responsibility for others at an 

early stage. 

13


LAW AND 

NOTHING 

BUT 

Liechtenstein maintained close ties to Austria up to 1919, Switzerland 

has been considered the principal ally and partner of the 

Principality since 1924. The two neighbouring states have left 

their indelible marks on Liechtenstein’s legal and judicial system. 

Quite a challenge for the Liechtenstein lawyers. 

Text: Michael Benvenuti 

Liechtenstein is a country of crossborder commuters. 

Some 20,000 people commute every day from Switzerland, 

Austria and Germany to work in the Principality. 

In a slightly different sense, border crossers also 

consist of the lawyers, attorneys and judges who work 

in Liechtenstein: for historical reasons, they commute 

between Austrian and Swiss law and also deal with 

Liechtenstein’s own legal idiosyncrasies. Hence the 

General Civil Code (ABGB) comes from Austria, and 

property and employment contract law have their 

roots in Switzerland, as does the Persons and Companies 

Act (PGR), large parts of which also derive from 

original Liechtenstein and even AngloSaxon law. 

Studying law abroad 

Since Liechtenstein does not have a law faculty of its 

own, prospective lawyers are obliged to study abroad 

– which they generally do in Austria and Switzerland. 

Although jurisprudence in both countries is marked 

by its origins in Roman law and follows a legal tradition 

influenced by shared European values, the differences 

should not be underestimated says Michael Jehle, 

judge and spokesman at the Princely Court of 

Justice in Vaduz. “That’s why anyone who wishes to 

work in Liechtenstein as a lawyer, attorney or judge 

first has to obtain an overview of the applicable legislation 

and competent jurisdiction”. For this reason, 

comparative law is particularly important in the Principality. 

What happens in the case of interfaces, how 

should legal norms adapted from abroad be interpreted? 

“Resolving such issues is what makes the work of 

lawyers in Liechtenstein so thrilling” believes Jehle. 

Compared to Austria or Switzerland, it seems to be 

easier to leave one’s mark in Liechtenstein’s jurisdiction. 

“What’s more, as a judge you are far more deeply 

integrated in the legislative process”. 

The 2003 constitutional reform 

The start of Liechtenstein's modern judicial system 

can be traced back to 1809. At that time the Landammann 

Constitution was replaced by two legal instances: 

the “Obergericht” in Vaduz (government) and the 

“Fürstliche Hofkanzlei” in Vienna (court of appeal). 

One of the conditions of joining the German Federation 

in 1815 was the introduction of a third legal instance, 

the “Oberlandesgericht” in Innsbruck. The 

1921 Constitution brought all legal instances to Liechtenstein. 

The State Court as set out in the 1921 Constitution 

was created in 1925. The amendment to the 

Constitution carried out in 2003 also resulted in 

14


changes to the judicial system. During the revision of the 

Constitution, judges’ duties and the appointment procedure 

for judges were combined and now apply to all 

courts. Today’s judicial system is made up of ordinary 

courts, the Administrative Court and the State Court. But 

how is a judge appointed in Liechtenstein? What are the 

conditions for obtaining the qualification for the office of 

judge? The requirement for the one to three years of 

training is a course of legal studies completed in Austria 

or Switzerland as well as a bar exam taken and recognised 

in Liechtenstein, or an existing professional qualification 

obtained in Switzerland or in Austria. 

Well, he shouldn’t tend 

towards tyranny. 

And what personality traits should a judge have? “Well, 

he shouldn’t tend towards tyranny”, Jehle grins. An “ideal 

legal figure” is needed instead, says Jehle, before listing 

a judge’s required attributes. He should be rooted in 

Liechtenstein’s legal tradition, committed to substantive 

truth, robust enough not to be guided by emotions and 

blessed with the grace of objectively applying a law even 

when the result intended by the legislature contradicts 

one’s own personal sense of justice. 

Did you know that … 

. . . the death penalty was only abolished in 

Liechtenstein in 1988? 

. . . among other cases, legal actions included 492 

new contentious civil proceedings, 96 contested 

divorces, 319 contested inheritances, 6119 requests 

for execution orders, 470 criminal investigations, 

390 criminal judicial assistance procedures 

and 342 criminal proceedings in 2016? 

. . . a total of 14 national judges and 2 judicial 

officers work at the Liechtenstein 

Court of Justice? 

. . . the Liechtenstein Court of 

Justice moved to a structurally 

restricted “interim domicile” 

in 2007? 

. . . the courts issue judgments 

“in the name of the Prince and 

the people”? 

. . . interns at the Liechtenstein 

Court of Justice can issue 

simple legal information? 

15

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16



HALLO 

Hi! 

Learning 

L2 like L1 

Learning a foreign language to the extent that you can read a newspaper 

within just four weeks – what sounds like a barely feasible undertaking 

is what Liechtenstein Languages makes possible. In this interview, HSH 

Prince Stefan, former Ambassador of Liechtenstein to Germany, explains how 

Liechtenstein of all places has assumed an important role in teaching 

the German language to refugees. 

Text: Joël Grandchamp · Photos ZVG 

Every schoolchild has their favourite subjects 

as well as subjects they’d prefer to see banned 

from the curriculum during their time at school. 

What were yours and why? 

HSH Prince Stefan of Liechtenstein: 

I had my problems with Latin, but was always 

fascinated by the subject. Since I was extremely 

interested in history, I knew how important 

Latin is, but I had something of a fight over this 

with my teacher at school. Learning vocabulary 

by rote wasn’t really my thing. What came quite 

easily to me was mathematics, the natural 

sciences and history. And what helped the most 

in later life was history – knowing where we 

and the European cultures come from and all 

the things which have happened in the history 

of mankind. That’s something which has always 

fascinated me, and that’s remained so right up 

to today. 

“Liechtenstein Languages” is well known as 

being a highly successful language learning 

programme. How did it come about? 

The actual language learning programme consists 

of the “New Learning” method which arrived in 

Liechtenstein about 30 years ago. It was also accompanied 

by field trials in Liechtenstein during 

the mid-1990s. The results were very good, so that 

New Learning has actually been used for about 

20 years in Basic English classes and was also exported 

to Peru and Costa Rica by way of the Liechtenstein 

Development Service (LED). A relevant 

talk was held at the Embassy in Berlin towards the 

end of 2014. Dr Peter Ritter was present and representatives 

of different religious communities and 

the German Government also attended the event. 

I asked Dr Ritter to talk about New Learning and 

his words immediately fell on open ears. We then 

considered how the method could be applied for 

refugees. To make the initiative understandable in 

an international context we decided to christen the 

17


Prince Stefan (on the left) and Walter Noser (second from left) from the Neues Lernen 

association present the LieLa project to Daniela Schadt, domestic partner of Germany’s 

Ex-President Joachim Gauck, in November 2016. 

project “Liechtenstein Languages”. Since only foreign languages 

had been taught in Liechtenstein up to that point, we 

had to begin by developing language learning materials for 

German lessons. This happened with a focus on the needs of 

refugees. The first course for refugees was held in Vaduz in 

December 2015, after which “Liechtenstein Languages” was 

launched in Germany in February 2016. Austria followed in 

April and Switzerland in February 2017. 

How did you manage to implement the programme so quickly? 

After two weeks, new language teachers and tutors can use 

our teaching method on their own – even without prior teacher 

training. From the third day of the training course, the 

trainee language teachers and tutors are included in the lessons 

and starting from the second week they teach lessons 

by themselves under the supervision of the Liechtenstein 

team. We’ve already trained 150 teachers and tutors to use 

our method in the 13 months during which the scheme has 

been running. They have introduced at least 3,000 refugees 

to the German language over this period. We then also encourage 

the qualified teachers to act as teacher trainers for 

others in their own educational institutions. As a result, the 

ability to work with “Liechtenstein Languages” continues to 

spread and multiply. For this reason we don’t precisely know 

how many people are currently working with our method. 

How does “Liechtenstein Languages” differ from other 

language courses? 

Basically, you teach a second language in the same way you 

learned to speak your native language. It’s a different kind 

of learning if you hold an apple in your hand, take a bite 

and fix the word in your brain than if you see the word 

“apple” on a blackboard together with all its correct grammatical 

forms. Consequently, the method is aimed more at 

speaking and understanding rather than at grammar and 

writing. Learners also start to pick up these aspects, at 

least to a certain extent. If you grasp the sounds of a language 

relatively quickly and are able to express yourself 

in a new language, then it’s much easier to take the next 

step – learning to read and write – than going straight 

into grammar. But it’s neither a priority, nor is it evaluated 

through tests or exams. The point is to give people the courage 

to speak. Hence the method is also perfectly suited to 

cater for the needs of illiterate people or for people who 

write in a different script. What’s more, learners do not 

require any prior knowledge; from the very first minute 

they speak in the language they learn. We teach about 600 

to 800 items of vocabulary in the first four weeks through 

facial expressions, gestures, pantomime and games. I'm 

always a bit cheeky when I say, ah well, at least you can 

read the “Bild-Zeitung” (laughs). 

18


To what degree is “Liechtenstein Languages” present in 

the world and are there any plans to expand it at the current 

time? 

We are well represented in all three neighbouring countries. 

It’s deeply satisfying to notice the dedication with 

which people work together with refugees and the impact 

this has. And it’s not just the German language which is 

taught: we also impart a lot of information about our lifestyle 

and our culture. Before we can start to consider how 

we might extend the scheme, there first has to be a demand 

out there for us to do so. And just to be quite clear, this is 

not a product we want to sell. We’re offering it because of 

the state of emergency which exists to a certain extent. 

Even so, we’ve been through very good and motivating 

experiences with the scheme, and we’ve seen that this 

method successfully enables us to motivate young people. 

Anyone working together with young people knows 

that there are tens of thousands of pupils who have problems 

with various subjects, pupils in whose cases the proverbial 

spark has failed to flash. That said, currently we 

wish to expand our initial work with the original target 

group. To this end, we’re in the process of developing a 

follow-up course in which literacy would be a vital component. 

The two courses would pursue the aim of enabling 

learners to pass the exams required to obtain a certificate. 

How can “Liechtenstein Languages” help the refugee 

situation through the way it teaches languages? 

Part of the course is to convey European culture, particularly 

our values in our dealings with each other: dealings between 

men and women, between the young and old, so that nobody 

is excluded. We’ve experienced a number of amazing things 

over the last 12 months. Husbands, for example, who did not 

want their wives to participate in the course. The organisers 

made it clear to these people at a meeting that a woman has 

every right to take part in the course. Afterwards, it was 

wonderful to see these women in the lessons. Their eyes were 

shining because they had never been in a teaching situation 

before. The joy we get from this acts as a great source of encouragement 

for us to continue the project. But this is only 

one introductory course to the German language. Further 

courses in the pipeline should also be accompanied by normal 

integration work. 

What was the feedback you received from course 

participants? 

We had a lot of positive feedback. Part of it confirmed that 

the participants would very much like to receive a recognised 

certificate after the course. This explains our interest in developing 

a follow-up course, at the end of which participants 

can pass an exam and receive a certificate. 

HSH Prince Stefan of Liechtenstein 

ADIÓS 


A chef in a kitchen and later on a general, I suppose. As a 

student, and based on my apparent behaviour, some friends 

called me “the diplomat”. So I’m in the right job, it seems 

(laughs). 

What were the most important stages in your educational 

career? 

My time at school in Carinthia, at the University of Innsbruck 

and then learning on the job as an investment banker 

and managing director of a tourism project. Right up to 

today, I’ve spent my whole life learning. At the same time, 

I feel I’ve learned more from life than from my time at school. 

What do you still appreciate the most from your time in 

education? 

The intention that I should start learning sooner rather than 

later. Although I pursued this goal the whole time I was at 

school, during my time at university, I’m afraid to say I fell 

woefully short of these ideals. I was never much of a success 

(laughs). At university, we learned to deal spontaneously with 

problems, to discuss and present them. Such presentations, 

with minimal preparation times, have been of great help to 

me later on in life. 

19

Wirtschaft/Bildung 

20



Taking on the 

pioneering 

role of excellence 

Liechtenstein is well known for being particularly 

business-friendly. This is also reflected in the fact 

that many companies in Liechtenstein have taken 

on a pioneering role throughout the world. Yet all 

this is only possible if the education and training 

of employees meets similarly high standards. 

Photo: Roland Korner 

21


Getting the best out of 

the one raw material 

22


Despite its small size, Liechtenstein offers 

its residents an efficient school system and 

manifold education and training opportunities. 

This is vital for the national economy: 

for Liechtenstein’s sole raw materials 

are knowledge and research. 

Text: Stefan Lenherr 

A quick look back: compared to other countries, education 

in Liechtenstein was only enshrined in law at a 

relatively late stage. On 18 September 1805, the Fürstliche 

Hofkanzlei (Princely Court Office) issued a decree 

which, inter alia, envisioned the provision of a suitable 

school teacher in each municipality as well as compulsory 

education. Liechtenstein historian Georg Malin says: 

“This date can be said to mark the birth of Liechtenstein’s 

school system”. Over 200 years later, a wide range of educational 

opportunities is available to Liechtenstein’s general 

public despite the small size of the country. Upon 

completion of their compulsory schooling, young people 

can choose to take the Matura (“A-levels”) at the grammar 

school in Vaduz or do an apprenticeship which can 

be supplemented with the Vocational Baccalaureate, providing 

they perform well enough at school. By obtaining 

the Matura, school leavers gain access to the University 

in Liechtenstein, but also to universities in Switzerland 

and Austria. In basic education, vocational education and 

training in Liechtenstein relies on the dual system, with 

training given at the apprenticeship site and at the vocational 

training college. 

Werner Kranz, head of the Office for Vocational Training 

and Vocational Guidance, explains that about 70 per cent 

of young people from secondary schools choose to go 

down the dual vocational training route. During their 

apprenticeship, academically gifted pupils can also take 

the Vocational Baccalaureate examination which enables 

them to study at a University of Applied Sciences or, providing 

they meet additional requirements, to embark on 

BROAD EDUCATIONAL 

OPPORTUNITIES 

Due to its small size, Liechtenstein is not able to 

offer a complete range of educational opportunities 

within the borders of the country. Instead, 

the population can use educational institutions 

abroad. 

For example, educational establishments belonging 

to the University of Applied Sciences of 

Eastern Switzerland (FHO), such as the Interstate 

University of Applied Sciences of Technology 

Buchs (NTB) offer courses in various disciplines. 

The International School Rheintal in Buchs 

also offers a range of services that complement 

Liechtenstein’s education system. In this particular 

case, the school teaches students in English 

from kindergarten age right through to completion 

of the international baccalaureate (IB). It receives 

funding from the Principality and local 

companies. 

2004 witnessed the launch of Liechtenstein 

Sports School. The school aims to prepare young 

people for a career in competitive or top-level 

sport. In addition, the Formatio is a state-approved 

private all-day school. The Institute in Triesen 

now offers a primary school and a secondary 

school, and, as a grammar school, prepares 

young people for the Matura. 

23

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


a university course of studies. Moreover there is also the 

possibility for those who have passed the Matura at grammar 

school and who also meet additional requirements in the 

practical field to study for a University of Applied Sciences 

degree. “This high permeability as well as the large number 

of possible routes through education is a pivotal strength and 

hence an advantage of the Liechtenstein education system”, 

says Kranz. 

A model for success 

Under the dual vocational education and training system, 

theory is linked directly to practice right from the start. This 

results in skilled professionals with good career prospects. 

Thanks to the excellent permeability of the Liechtenstein education 

system, young adults who have completed a vocational 

apprenticeship have every opportunity for further professional 

development or, if necessary, to switch their career path, says 

Kranz. “Hence the dual vocational education and training system 

– both today and in the future – is a mainstay of the Liechtenstein 

education system”. The low youth unemployment rate 

in Liechtenstein of around three per cent can be attributed, 

inter alia, to the high quality of professional training. 

Werner Kranz 

What did you want to be 

when you were a child? 

A professional football player. 

What do you like best about 

your job? 

Dealing with people, leading my team and the honour 

of contributing to the development of education in the 

Principality. 


in education? 

The notion of lifelong learning 

Liechtenstein’s own university 

Those with the Matura in their pocket go on to tertiary 

education, usually abroad in neighbouring countries such 

as Austria or Switzerland. A number of established universities 

are located within an hour’s drive, such as the 

University of St. Gallen. However, Liechtenstein has operated 

its own small university in the capital of Vaduz since 

2011. The University offers courses in entrepreneurship, 

business information technology, banking and financial 

management, business administration and architecture. 

Further education institutions include the Private University 

in the Principality of Liechtenstein and the International 

Academy of Philosophy. In matters of education, the 

Liechtenstein population benefits from Liechtenstein’s 

membership of the European Economic Area (EEA). Consequently, 

the country participates in EU vocational training 

programmes, which offer graduates of training programmes 

the opportunity to gain international 

experience. 

@ 

Interview 

with Werner Kranz 

25 

www.liechtenstein.li/ 

eduinterview


“I didn’t want to 

take part at first” 

Lukas Beck won the Gold Medal in the occupational group of plasterers at the 

WorldSkills championships in São Paulo in 2015. In this interview, he describes 

how he prepared for the competition and what effect the result has had on his 

further career. 

Text: Joël Grandchamp · Photos: Eddy Risch 

Every schoolchild has their favourite subjects as well as 

subjects they’d prefer to see banned from the curriculum 

during their time at school. What were yours and why? 

Lukas Beck: I always really liked sport and crafts, especially 

at primary school. Later on, I liked subjects in which you 

could be physically active and use your hands. I also developed 

an interest in chemistry and even did a trial apprenticeship 

as a chemical laboratory assistant, but ultimately I opted 

for an apprenticeship as a plasterer: after all, it also involves 

chemistry. I was less thrilled by languages. 

How exactly does chemistry still matter in your day-today 

work? 

My knowledge of chemistry is certainly useful in my 

everyday work. It gives me a much greater understanding 

of how materials react to and with each other. We work a 

lot with chemical processes. I know, for example, how 

binders react with different materials, and make fewer 

errors as a result. 

You work for your family’s company. Was it clear to you 

from the outset that you wanted to work there? 

Once I had decided to do an apprenticeship as a plasterer, 

it was assumed that I would take over the business at some 

stage. But I can’t say today whether that’s how things will 

actually turn out in future. Even so, when I’m in Liechtenstein, 

I work in the family business. My brother also did his 

apprenticeship here and will be taking part in WorldSkills 

this summer. So at the moment it looks as if the two of us 

will probably take over the business in the future. 

In other words, your brother is more or less following in 

your footsteps. How have his results been until now? 

Right, he goes to Abu Dhabi this summer. You have to complete 

the apprenticeship with a better grade than 5, and he 

managed to do that. So he was able to join the Liechtenstein 

team and came second in the Swiss championships. Later on, 

he also took part in the Austrian championships – not in 

order to win, but as a rehearsal for the real thing. 

What gave you yourself the motivation to apply for the 

WorldSkills competition? 

I didn’t want to take part at first and wasn’t at all enthusiastic 

about the idea. Both the Liechtenstein team and the Swiss 

training centre were very persistent and tried to persuade 

me. I then participated in the Swiss championships and that 

went well enough to convince even me that I could participate 

without having the feeling that it would turn out to be 

an utter disaster. That’s probably the reason why I wasn’t so 

nervous. 

How did you prepare yourself for the WorldSkills? 

Well, you don’t enter WorldSkills as a sole competitor but as 

part of the Liechtenstein team. They work out how you should 

26


prepare for the competition. You get a trainer assigned to 

you and work with them to create a training plan. The more 

time you have, the more you train. We were able to use the 

premises of the Swiss Painters and Plasterers Association, 

but we also trained here in Liechtenstein. I was also able to 

work for three months in Biel at my mentor’s company. All 

this was accompanied by sports and mental training sessions 

together with the team. And, after work, there was 

still a lot of theory to learn, for example, regulations or tool 

lists. The exams from previous years were also available, 

so we could begin practising with the old plans right from 

the start. Three months before the competitions we then 

received the current plans. About one third of them were 

swapped at the competition so that you couldn’t just memorise 

everything. 

What was the exam at WorldSkills like? 

For the past nine years the exam has consisted of completing 

a drywall – you have to mount gypsum boards on metal 

stands. In Brazil that was like a small house with four walls 

that had window and door cut-outs. One was in the form of 

the Jesus you see standing on the mountain in Rio de Janeiro. 

The task in the first module was to set up this drywall in 

10 hours. The second module was the plastering itself – the 

typical work of a plasterer. In the third module you had to 

create stucco work. In our case we had entered the timed 

competition at the same time, so our work was assessed both 

for its speed and accuracy. Then we had to complete the 

fourth module, which was freestyle. You had two hours to do 

whatever you liked. The more complex and harder the work, 

and the better the finished product, the more points you got 

for it. I made a jungle tree out of stucco – a tree, because it 

can always be regenerated, which is also true of plaster. 

How have you been able to benefit from WorldSkills – 

before, during and after the event? 

During the preparations we noticed how we were continually 

making progress. In any case, you definitely become more 

self-confident; you improve the way you come across in public 

and your work techniques – despite the odd minor setback. 

Everyone is really pleased after the competition is 

over, no matter how well they did. It’s also a way of advertising 

for your business and yourself, and it opens up many 

opportunities. Most of the former participants are doing 

something different today than what they were at the time 

of the competition, be it a change of employer, training, or 

work abroad. I’ve been living for a year in Venice now, and 

my valuable experience at WorldSkills together with the 

corresponding certificate definitely helped me get this job. 

What exactly are you doing in Venice? 

I work for the Unione Stuccatori Veneziani, a stucco work and 

restoration company. We make wall decorations out of traditional 

wall plastering. After all, in Venice there are, in princi 

27


ple, no new buildings, meaning that all of them are 

historical. The kind of permission we get depends on 

the preservation order. Assuming that we can get the 

permission, we sometimes do new stuff, but mostly 

we restore what’s already there. Even in the case of 

modern projects, we always stick to the traditional 

working techniques that are set out by the conservation 

authority. I intend to keep working in Venice at 

least until August or September. Then I think I’ll 

probably continue my training in Switzerland. I'd like 

to pass the master craftsman qualification or do a 

course at the Haus der Farbe College in Zurich, where 

they train you up on design in construction or in 

architecture. 

So your work in Venice came right after 

WorldSkills? 

Yes, basically. I began with six months of practical 

training at the Unione Stuccatori first and managed 

to extend this by four months. Then I was in the city 

of Vicenza, which also has a restoration school. There 

I did a course for craftsmen in historic preservation. 

That was the last school I completed until now. 

Would you recommend others to take part in 

WorldSkills? 

Absolutely! We’ve already convinced my brother. He 

hasn’t needed quite as much preparation as I did, be 

cause he already knows the ropes. If at all possible, 

I’ll be going there to support him. I’ll probably be 

more nervous than I was when I took part (laughs). 

Lukas Beck 


A geologist or inventor. For a while, I was interested 

in becoming a goldsmith. 



Completing the plastering apprenticeship was certainly the 

most important one. Here you learn all the basics of how to 

use your hands. The monument school was a great help, too. 

What do you still appreciate the most from your time in 

education? 

Just how brilliant our hands are. They’re a perfect tool. 

You can do so many things with them. You’d certainly need 

loads of inventions to do the same things otherwise. Practical 

work can be great, you know, and even though it’s demanding, 

it can also be very relaxing. 

28

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Education 4.0: MINT 

subjects in the spotlight 

Economy 4.0, virtual worlds, interdisciplinary networking: digitisation 

increasingly permeates society and economy and has dramatically 

changed parts of them. Qualifications in the disciplines of mathematics, 

IT, the natural sciences and technology – the so-called MINT subjects – 

provide the key skills of the future. Liechtenstein’s education system 

has taken up this challenge. 

Text: Michael Benvenuti · Photo: ZVG 

Which digital qualifications and skills must be taught at 

school, university and training college? What staff need 

Economy 4.0 in order to keep up with the international competition? 

The discussion on the opportunities and risks of 

digitisation has now reached the gates of education policymakers 

in Liechtenstein. In response to the digital challenge, 

the Government in Vaduz teamed up with representatives of 

the business and manufacturing industry community to found 

the “ Liechtenstein MINT Initiative” charitable foundation. It 

aims to promote enthusiasm for mathematics, IT, the natural 

sciences and technology in schools and to increase awareness 

of the technical professions. 

The “pepper-MINT” experimental laboratory was instigated 

as the first project. Here, nursery school children and pupils 

can discover and experience the fascination of science and 

technology outside the classroom as of summer 2017. “The 

MINT lab creates ideal conditions for collecting experimental 

experiences at an early stage in order to assist children in 

their school education”, emphasises Prof Lothar Ritter, Rector 

of the Interstate University of Applied Sciences of Technology 

Buchs (NTB). 

Don’t just talk, do something about it 

A further important component of Education 4.0 is the ETH 

“Programming with logo” project in which fourth and fifth 

graders start to acquire a basic knowledge of information 

technology in a playful way. Juraj Hromkovic, Professor of 

Information Technology and Training at ETH Zurich is 

convinced that programming skills will be essential in the 

future IT-based knowledge society in order for people to live 

useful lives, not only as consumers, but also as creative and 

constructive contributors. The present school system, he 

says, no longer meets the requirements of the future. Schools 

are now called on to offer more than mere explanations of 

finished products of science, such as facts and methods. “The 

focus should be more on experimentation and discovery, and 

getting children to test and validate their own hypotheses”, 

demands Hromkovic. Ritter completely agrees: “In the case 

of IT initiatives it’s particularly important that emphasis is 

placed not on talking about the subject but on individual 

work and on the opportunity to develop hands-on skills”. 

Ritter also sees the growing gap between the demands of 

society, economy and politics on the one hand and the biological 

hardware of people on the other as the biggest challenge 

30


facing education and training. Dr. Heinz Bachmann at the 

Zurich University of Teacher Education gets right to the heart 

of the matter in a guest article for the Lilienberg Business 

Forum: demands placed on the individual are set to rise in 

the world of tomorrow. At the same time, however, people’s 

biological foundations are the same as they were centuries 

ago in regard to learning. The way we organise our lives and 

work and the degree of complexity with which we surround 

ourselves, basically requires ever more powerful and smarter 

people. But the day still consists of 24 hours and our brain 

still functions very much in the same way as it always has 

done for centuries. 

Positive influence of digitisation 

Performing this balancing act as well as possible must not 

only be the objective of education policy, says Ritter: “In the 

4.0 world of work, business and society shall need skilled 

workers who, in addition to the classic professional skills of 

today, also have a basic understanding of how IT will be integrated 

as a tool in their daily work and in their private lives, 

and of all the things that IT can do for their future field of 

work”. Although sceptics mainly see risks and dangers in 

digital change, Ritter has a bold, positive view of the future: 

“I personally believe that closer interaction between physical 

and digital technologies and hence the merging of our real 

world with its virtual image can have a positive influence 

on human thinking, learning and work”. 

Lothar Ritter 

What did you want to be when 

you were a child? 

An inventor. 

What were the most important stages in 

your educational career? 

The grammar school Matura and my mathematics 

studies at ETH Zurich. 

What do you still appreciate the most from your 

time in education? 

Systematic thinking and keeping my mind on the 

bigger picture. 

31


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RhySearch is the joint research and innovation centre of the Canton of St. Gallen and the 

Principality of Liechtenstein. Since its launch in 2013, RhySearch has seen itself as a 

sparring partner for the high-tech industry. 

Photo: Oliver Hartmann 

The CTI (Swiss Federal Commission for Technology and Innovation) 

accredited research and innovation facility based at the NTB 

links business with academic research and conducts applied research 

and development in order to strengthen competitiveness 

particularly on the part of SMEs. Here, the focus is on the areas of 

optical coatings and precision manufacturing which have firm 

roots in the region. RhySearch currently has by now: nine members 

of staff on the payroll and also employs PhD students. One 

goal is to improve the transfer of knowledge between the research 

and practice communities. From autumn 2017, RhySearch and the 

University of Liechtenstein shall jointly be planning a new certificate 

course: “Industry 4.0 Manager”. In this case, participants can 

implement their own practical project in the field of “Industry 4.0” 

under the supervision of a coach. With the support of its two funding 

providers, RhySearch aims to further expand its technical infrastructure 

in the next few years. 

RhySearch. The Research and Innovation Centre, Buchs 

Tel. +41 81 755 49 50 www.rhysearch.ch 

University of Liechtenstein 

The University of Liechtenstein offers some 800 students a personal working environment. Direct contact to the 

teaching staff is one of the University’s major strengths. The student-teacher ratio speaks for itself: for every 12 

students there is one faculty member. Study takes place in small groups with the emphasis placed on practical 

usefulness. Here the benefits of a private university meet the manageable tuition fees of a state run university. 

INNOVATIVE TEACHING 

Knowledge is transferred here dynamically in accordance 

with Swiss quality standards. The four institutes of Architecture 

and Planning, Entrepreneurship, Financial Services and 

Information Systems offer a creative and performance-oriented 

environment. This opens up attractive career opportunities for 

graduates. 

CAMPUS OF THE NATIONS 

Students from over 38 countries meet up at the campus. They benefit 

from the University’s excellent network in the form of exchange programmes 

with 80 partner universities in 38 countries. This ensures 

personal and professional development at an international level. 

AN ATHLETIC TRADITION 

The campus for pioneering thinkers scores top marks with its location 

set in front of an impressive mountain backdrop.Snowboarding, 

mountain biking, hiking – the Alps are a paradise for outdoor 

sports enthusiasts. UniSport provides students with the opportunity 

to pursue their preferred sport alongside their studies. In cooperation 

with the University of St. Gallen, local associations, clubs, 

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University of Liechtenstein, Vaduz 

Tel. +423 265 11 11 www.uni.li 

32

Advertorial 


Higher education teaching and research 

Frequently, the NTB is also called the “Technical University of Liechtenstein”. And not 

without reason. On the one hand, every year young people from Liechtenstein decide to 

attend engineering courses at the NTB; on the other, Liechtenstein’s industry has used the 

attractive opportunities offered by the NTB as a provider of applied research and development 

for decades. 

The NTB is a university of applied 

sciences which emerged over four decades 

ago from the needs of regional 

companies. It offers a choice of six 

fields of study: mechanical engineering, 

photonics, electronics and control 

engineering, computer engineering, 

microtechnology as well as information 

and communication systems. In 

the field of bachelor degrees, the university 

focuses on systems engineering 

as an interdisciplinary study programme. 

The NTB is characterised by its practical engineering 

education, an attractive pool of professionals, and the 

promotion of innovation through applied research and 

development with industrial companies. 

Focused and needs-oriented 

The digitisation and networking of 

autonomous and automated machines, 

robots, systems and resources is set to 

open up undreamt of possibilities in the 

fields of work and leisure. With its interdisciplinary 

model of study and its 

research and development activities, 

the NTB offers optimum conditions 

under which students can prepare 

themselves vocationally for, and even 

help shape, the digital future. Graduates 

of the engineering studies programme 

leading to the “Bachelor of Science 

FHO in Systems Engineering” 

degree are also perfectly prepared to 

master complex systems and processes 

– as used, for example, in the “Industry 

4.0” production concept. A wide range 

of Master’s programmes in technology 

and continuing education courses offer 

engineers with practical experience 

the chance to broaden their knowledge 

and skills base in specific areas of 

the engineering sciences in an application-oriented 

way. Consistent modularisation 

of each training course, the choice 

between full-time and part-time forms 

of study, and the close proximity to the 

student’s home and place of work 

thanks to the three places of study 

in Buchs, Chur and St. Gallen, add 

welcome flexibility to the range of 

tertiary education courses. 

The experience of technology transfer 

NTB institutes are not only partners of 

the industrial enterprises, but also employ 

the majority of the teaching staff. 

• Institute of Mechatronic Systems Development EMS 

• Institute of Electronics, Sensors and Actuators ESA 

• Institute of Computational Engineering ICE 

• Institute of Energy Systems IES 

• Institute of Information Technology in 

Engineering INF 

• Institute of Micro- and Nanotechnology MNT 

• Institute of Production Metrology, Materials 

and Optics PWO 

Last but not least, the “Interstaatliche 

Hochschule für Technik Buchs NTB” 

enables manufacturing industry to 

benefit from access to CTI-funded projects 

(Swiss Federal Commission for 

Technology and Inno vation). 

The NTB was awarded the EFQM certificate 

“Recognised for Excellence (R4E)” in 2017. 

Facts & figures 

Interstaatliche Hochschule für Technik 

Buchs NTB 

• Opened: 1970 

• Funded by the Cantons of St. Gallen, Graubünden 

and the Principality of Liechtenstein 

• Motto: Tech your future 

• Students: approx. 445 

• Staff: approx. 220 

• Networks: FHO, IBH 

NTB Campus, Buchs 

Tel. +41 81 755 33 11 www.ntb.li 

33


Sovereignty as a 

recipe for success 

Liechtenstein has leaped from being a poor rural state to becoming a 

flourishing economy in record time. After all, Liechtenstein’s economic 

miracle was only made possible through the clever utilisation of state 

sovereignty. 

Text: Stefan Lenherr · Photo: ZVG 

Inventions 

1919 

Jenny Spörri: 

Manufacturing company in the 

textile sector (mid-19th century) 

1923 

Scana Schaan: 

Goulash soup, canned food factory 

(1936) 

1935 

Milestones 

Before becoming part of 

the Swiss customs territory, 

Liechtenstein had formed a 

customs and currency union 

with Austria. The Austria 

Liechtenstein customs treaty 

was terminated in 1919, 

however, because of economic 

difficulties. 

Ivoclar Vivadent AG 

was founded in Zurich in 

1923. Today the company 

operates from its headquarters 

in Liechtenstein’s 

Schaan and has risen to 

become one of the world’s 

leading dental companies. 

Scana Konservenfabrik 

AG was founded in 1935. 

The company launched its 

first frozen products in 

1961. Hilcona was the first 

company in Switzerland and 

Liechtenstein to industrially 

produce fresh pasta in 1984. 

This opened up a completely 

new market. 

34


At the beginning of the 19th century, prospects for an economic upturn in Liechtenstein 

were still unimaginably poor. After the First World War, the country was 

on its knees. Its customs and currency partner Austria-Hungary had been defeated 

and the lights went out in the few textile factories that existed at that time. But 

then began a miraculous development which would result in Liechtenstein having 

the highest GDP per capita in the world today. The country is now right among the 

leaders in the league of industrialised countries and can offer even more jobs within 

its borders than the country itself has inhabitants. 

In his book “Wirtschaftswunder Liechtenstein”, the historian Christoph Maria 

Merki thoroughly explores the question of how the meteoric rise of the microstate 

in the heart of Europe can best be explained. He summarises his findings by 

stating: “Liechtenstein has built up a locational advantage from the circumstance 

that it is a sovereign state. This is what I call the commercialisation of sovereignty”. 

In concrete terms, this is expressed, for example, in the fact that Liechtenstein 

was able to sell the rights of citizenship to wealthy foreigners and thereby generate 

revenue in the 1930s. Better known, however, is probably the global trade in Liechtenstein 

stamps. But even more important for its positive development was the fact 

that the state created ideal conditions for it to become an international financial 

1936 

1941 

Contina AG: 

Abacus Curta (1948) 

Carena AG: 

Film camera (1960) 

Today’s Hoval AG was 

founded in 1936. At the beginning, 

the company produced 

simple cooking stoves 

and the first central heating 

cooker which was connected 

via pipes to radiators. Heating 

and air conditioning systems 

from Hoval are currently 

exported to over 50 

countries. Buckingham Palace, 

for example, is heated 

with Hoval systems. 

Press- und Stanzwerk 

AG was founded in Eschen 

in 1941. Today the company 

is called Thyssen Krupp 

Presta. It is Liechtenstein's 

largest employer with 

around 2,200 employees. 

Every fourth car in the 

world is equipped with a 

Presta steering system. 

1941 also marks the year 

when the mechanical engineering 

company Hilti OHG 

was founded. Today, Hilti AG 

is global market leader in 

the field of professional fastening 

technology. 

35


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New training laboratory in Vaduz 

In order to create more space and opportunities for traineeships, education and training, 

the labormedizinisches zentrum now has a special training laboratory. 

With the full launch and completion of final work at the new 

site in Wuhrstrasse in Vaduz, the training laboratory was 

able to begin operating in late May. Each year, the family 

business offers pupils and students the opportunity to experience 

work in a medical laboratory, for example in the framework 

of the annually held FITNA Days (“Promotion of Interest 

in Technology and the Natural Sciences”) and taster days. 

At the same time, the company offers ideal conditions for 

making regular training courses and workshops more interactive 

and practical. The new sites in Vaduz and Buchs will 

be formally inaugurated and open to the general public in 

the autumn of 2017. 

“We look forward to the new possibilities and are grateful 

that we can offer our employees the excellent infrastructure 

required for your further education”. 

(Martin Risch, CEO) 

labormedizinisches zentrum Dr Risch, Vaduz 

Tel. 058 523 30 00 www.risch.ch 

36


hub. In combination with the now discontinued banking 

secrecy system, tens of billions of Swiss francs flowed to 

Liechtenstein over the decades. The financial sector was an 

all but inexhaustible source of money for the State until just 

a few years ago. 

State outsourcing 

What further favoured the economic boom was the outsourcing 

of government services, says historian Merki: “Liechtenstein 

is a very small state and is unable to carry out all the 

tasks that a state is supposed to fulfil by itself”. Since the 

country does not have to maintain an army and uses the 

Swiss franc instead of having its own currency, and since 

it doesn’t have an airport or even an autobahn, the Liechtenstein 

State saves a lot of money. Instead, the Principality 

buys in these services at low cost from neighbouring Switzerland. 

And so in the field of higher education it also relies on 

foreign partners. Although Vaduz hosts a small university, 

the range of courses it offers is limited. This is why most people 

from Liechtenstein who wish to study go abroad. “These 

two special reasons – the commercialisation of sovereignty 

and the outsourcing of government services – explain why 

Liechtenstein has grown so remarkably”, summarises Merki. 

Mainstays of the economy 

In the wake of international developments, the financial centre 

of Liechtenstein has come under serious pressure. Today, 

far less money flows into the State Treasury than even ten 

years ago. Nevertheless, Liechtenstein benefits from the fact 

that it hosts a series of innovative industries. “In reality, manufacturing 

industry has created more jobs than the financial 

sector”, says Merki, “Today, these are the companies which 

are helping Liechtenstein get through the difficult times 

which its financial services industry is currently experiencing”. 

The most important players in industry today include 

the Ivoclar Vivadent dental technology group, the food manu 

Malbuner “Prince’s Ham” (1967) 

1967 

Ospelt Herbert Anstalt: 

1975 

Neutrik AG: 

Audio connectors (1975/76) 

World Pac AG: 

Sun Spice flat films and casings 

(1993) 

1995 

Intamin AG was founded in 

1967. Today, the company 

headquartered in Liechtenstein 

is the worldwide number 

1 in building roller 

coasters. 

In 1975 the Neutrik 

company was founded in 

Schaan – with the idea of 

developing innovative products 

that would connect the 

interface between mechanics 

and electronics. Today, 

the professional entertainment 

industry is impossible 

to imagine without the innovative 

plug-in connectors 

and connection systems of 

Neutrik AG. 

Liechtenstein joined the 

European Economic Area 

(EEA) on 1 May 1995. Since 

then, Swiss customs law or 

EEA law can be applied in 

parallel on the territory of 

the Principality of Liechtenstein. 

37

TR ADITION 

Give value to receive value 

David Vogt Holding Anstalt 

www.vogt.li


facturer Hilcona, the construction technology company Hilti, 

the automotive supplier ThyssenKrupp Presta and the coating 

specialist Oerlikon Balzers. In total, over 14,000 people 

are employed at industrial enterprises based in Liechtenstein. 

Looking below the major enterprises, many smaller industrial 

companies have emerged in recent years. They usually employ 

fewer than 50 people. Despite their small size, they are 

often among the technology leaders in their specialised niche 

markets. Because companies in Liechtenstein have never 

been able to rely on the country’s internal market, which is 

far too small, they were always forced to seek their fortune in 

exports. In order for them to compete successfully on the international 

stage, innovation has always been a major part of 

their business activities. Hence many inventions which went 

on to achieve commercial success have their origins in Liechtenstein. 

Christoph Merki 



An astronaut. 

What do you like best 

about your job? 

Freedom. 

What does education mean 

for you? 

Opportunities. 

Wine Cellars of the Prince of 

Liechtenstein: 

Pinot Noir Herawingert (1997) 

Hoval AG: 

BioLyt pellet boiler (1999) 

Hilti AG: 

Combined hammer TE 70-ATC (2008) 

ThyssenKrupp Presta AG: 

EPAS steering system (2010) 

OC Oerlikon Balzers AG: 

Ingenia coating plant (2011) 

2015 

2015 was the year when 

Liechtenstein had the lo west 

unemployment rate in Europe 

at just 2.4 per cent. 

2015 marked the first time 

that with 19,652 commuters, 

more workers with residence 

abroad were employed in 

Liechtenstein than the number 

of people with residence 

in the Principality. 

@ 

Interview 

with Christoph Maria Merki 

39 

www.liechtenstein-business.li/ 

merki-interview


Hi-tech is also 

a girl thing 

So boys get to play with technology while girls are 

left with dolls? No way, José! As a child, Roelene 

Botha always wanted to play with her brother’s toy 

cars much more than with Barbie dolls and little 

girl’s playthings. Today, the 36-year old South 

African is project manager at the RhySearch 

research centre in Buchs. Her goal is to create 

an “Optics Valley” in the Rhine Valley. 

Text: Michael Benvenuti · Photo: Oliver Hartmann 

“Pink was never my favourite colour”, Roelene Botha smiles 

almost apologetically as if she had to justify the fact that she 

has successfully gone her way as a woman in a still maledominated 

world. Botha, who grew up in Krugersdorp, a suburb 

of Johannesburg, has been a senior research engineer at 

the University of Applied Sciences of Technology Buchs (NTB) 

and project manager at the Research Centre RhySearch since 

2014. The 36-year-old South African’s declared goal at Rhy 

Search is to create an “Optics Valley”, a kind of Silicon Valley 

in the Rhine Valley. Even as a little girl, Botha was magically 

attracted to technology and natural sciences. 

“I found my older brother's toy vehicles much more interesting 

than Barbie dolls or other such playthings”. The holder of 

a PhD in Physics remembers how her father, himself an engineer, 

supported her on her way and gave her the necessary 

backing: “He was always in favour of equal treatment and 

never gave me the feeling that certain subjects and areas are 

off-limits to women”. 

Being free as a woman in Europe 

First, the interest in toy cars, then the natural sciences, 

applied mathematics, information technology and engineering: 

Botha’s development from being a curious girl to becoming 

a student of electronics and information technology 

at the University of Johannesburg was completely consistent. 

But what was it specifically that made her move from 

the Cape of Good Hope on the Old Continent to Paris? “I received 

an offer to complete my doctorate at the École Polytechnique 

and was delighted to accept it”, she recalls. Yet it 

was also because Botha had originally only planned to come 

to Europe for a short stay and fully intended to return to her 

native country. But then she began to appreciate and enjoy 

the freedoms: “The great thing about Europe is that unlike 

South Africa, you can live freely, independently and on your 

own as a woman”. 

There she was entrusted with tasks that still challenge and 

tantalise her: “It's always amazing to get the chance to work 

40


on something new and build up projects. The feeling 

that you’re making an important contribution is deeply 

satisfying”. Botha is well aware that women are still not 

always entrusted with leadership roles – but her response 

to this is surprisingly measured: “Such companies 

choose to go without well-educated employees. 

That’s their own fault!” 

Another course of education in the pipeline 

Despite her successful career, the smart South African, 

who regularly played piano and cello up to the 

age of 18, still hasn’t arrived at her final destination 

when it comes to education. Her thirst for knowledge 

has not been quenched, not by a long way, she says, 

laughing: “I’d still very much like to do another further 

education course”. What would tantalise her is 

something she does not reveal, however. But it seems 

highly likely that this course of study will have nothing 

to do with Barbie dolls or girls’ playthings. 

Roelene Botha 


A musician or scientist. 



Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Bachelor of 

Sciences in Computer Science from the University of 

Johannesburg, Master of Engineering in Electronics at 

the University of Johannesburg, PhD in Physics at the 

École Polytechnique LPICM. 



Change and diversion. 

41


Back from the 

future 

She predicts that human and artificial intelligence will soon merge and that the 3D printer 

will lead to a new world order. She talks of optimised BioKinder products, networked underwear 

and robots that can change nappies. For over 25 years, Karin Frick, head of research at 

the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI) in Rüschlikon on the shore of Lake Zurich, has 

analysed trends in society, consumption and business. 

42 

Text: Michael Benvenuti · Photo: Oliver Hartmann 

Foto: iStock


When Karin Frick speaks of the future, there’s no “might” 

or “possibly” which resonates in her words. In fact there’s 

no doubt at all. She describes developments, revolutions 

and new forms of life as if she’d seen them with her own 

eyes or had experienced them – as if she’d already travelled 

back and forth into the future. Where does she get 

this certainty from? “Provocative statements are a stylistic 

device that guard against blindness to the future, the 

point is to stretch the bounds of the imagination. We develop 

scenarios, meaning images and stories about possible 

futures, which are intended to open up new perspectives 

and identify risks and opportunities at an early 

stage”, says the 56-year-old, adding that she picks out 

parts from a wide range of different sciences and immediately 

inserts them into her unique jigsaw puzzle. Incidentally, 

Frick does not regard herself as a scientist in the 

strict sense of the word, but rather as a border crosser 

between disciplines. 

Driven by curiosity 

This curiosity and the need to explore limits had already 

driven her as a child, says the woman from Schaan. She 

had always questioned what others believed to be unchangeable 

and been searching for new ways. Nevertheless, 

in her choice of studies, she went down the quite 

usual path for a Liechtenstein holder of the Matura by opting 

for Economics at the University of St. Gallen. But she 

would no longer do that today, she says. “Instead I'd study 

computer science, or combine the natural sciences with 

technology”. Nothing has changed in terms of her dream 

job, however, laughs the mother of two sons: “I’d choose 

futurological research again”. 

Particularly striking in the interview with Karin Frick is 

her optimism when she speaks of the future. She seems to 

see only the positive in the new and often unknown, only 

possibilities and opportunities. It is no coincidence that 

she travels once a year to Silicon Valley in her search 

for inspiration. Representatives of the Singularity University 

there believe that technology will one day solve 

all the world's problems. The well-known US-American 

futurologist Raymond Kurzweil is even convinced that 

the dream of immortality might be fulfilled in the next 

10 to 20 years. Artificial intelligence and biotechnology 

will overcome death, which Kurzweil calls an “engineering 

problem”. 

Of course, trend research in the United States often 

strikes Europeans as being naïve and not particularly 

well thought through, says Frick. Even so, she definitely 

feels a much closer affinity to the enthusiasm expressed 

across the pond than the pessimism of her German-speaking 

colleagues, who often seem only to see a threat in the 

new and unknown. “If we can’t envision a better world than it is 

today, then why on earth bother getting up in the morning?” she 

asks. Remaining stuck in the present situation and not moving 

forward is not an option for her at least, she stresses. Here, it’s 

well worth bearing in mind that she’s been running marathons 

for years and has a best time of 3:46:51. 

No hankering for nostalgia 

Consequently, the economist will never subscribe to the point of 

view that everything was somehow better in the past. For that 

would be a much too nostalgic and romanticised way of looking 

at things. “I'd rather live in the here and now of today than that 

of 100 years ago”. Frick leaves no doubt about this and instantly 

backs up her statement with a reason: “Because we have more 

options, because it’s clear that more opportunities are open to 

us”. 100 years ago, she would have been the mother of ten children 

and would have had to feed them all before going to work 

in the cowshed, doing the washing and taking care of the 

garden. So in Karin Frick’s mind, there’s no reason at all to 

demonise progress. 

Karin Frick 


A boss with my own secretary. 



The degree in Business Economics from the University 

of St. Gallen. 


in education? 

The fact that I’ve never finished learning. 

43


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44

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45

Kultur/Genuss 

Culture/Taste 

2000 YEARS OF 

GOOD TASTE 

Wine has been grown in the Principality of Liechtenstein for 2,000 years. 

Wine-growing areas mainly attract connoisseurs who, in turn, are also interested 

in art. No wonder, then, that culture and good taste are written large in Liechtenstein 

– and are frequently found side by side to each other, not just on paper. 

Photo: Roland Korner 

46


47

Culture/Taste 

A sip of 

Liechtenstein 

Wine was already grown in Liechtenstein at the start of the Christian era. 

The tradition of wine-growing is alive to this day in the country’s municipalities. 

What’s more, top tipples from Liechtenstein also include specialty beers and 

high-quality spirits. 

Text: Stefan Lenherr · Photo: ZVG 

Wine has been grown in the area of present-day Liechtenstein 

for about 2000 years. In early times it was the Romans 

who introduced the systematic cultivation of vines to the 

region. Yet they were forced to abandon their vines from the 

south of the Empire. Instead, they cultivated the local, wild 

varieties which cope best with the local climatic conditions. 

The white Elbling, which was the preferred grape variety at 

the outset of Liechtenstein’s winemaking tradition, disappeared 

from local vineyards in the 1940s, however. Over 

100 winegrowers in Liechtenstein today cultivate about twenty 

different varieties. One of them stands out: for some 350 

years the Blauburgunder, or Pinot noir, has been considered 

the type of wine which is best suited to Liechtenstein’s climate. 

As a result, it is still regarded as the most typical 

Liechtenstein wine today. 

@ 

Video interview 

with Marcel Telser 

48 

www.tourismus.li/ 

telsington 

The vines are cultivated from Eschnerberg in the north of 

the country to Gutenberg hill at the southern tip of Liechtenstein. 

Nevertheless, the capital Vaduz is the country’s winegrowing 

centre par excellence. South-facing and sheltered 

slopes as well as ideal climatic conditions first enabled the 

largest vineyards to emerge here in the Middle Ages. Vaduz 

is also home to the Prince of Liechtenstein Winery. It offers 

both a good overview of the range of Liechtenstein wines as 

well as rarities which can be tasted and purchased. Princess 

Marie of Liechtenstein, who is a qualified sommelière and 

responsible for marketing and distribution in 

the Winery, says: “We offer different wines 

which have different characters depending 

on the grape variety, on its selection 

and its stage of development. But what 

underpins all our products is the endeavour 

to produce the highest quality. Here, we make no 

compromises, and this quality strategy pays off. In addition 

to the Prince of Liechtenstein Winery in Vaduz, special Liechtenstein 

wines can be tasted at the Castellum wine-growing 

estate in Eschen and at the Harry Zech Vineyard Cantina in 

Schaanwald. Last but not least, what keeps wine culture alive 

are the many wine growers who cultivate small areas as a 

supplementary source of income or for their personal use, 

and who make their own wines. 

Resurrection of a beer culture 

Connoisseurs who prefer the art of brewing are also well 

catered for in Liechtenstein. Although the inhabitants of 

the Principality had to wait almost 100 years for a domestic 

beer after an earlier brewery closed its gates during the 

First World War, Liechtenstein Brauhaus AG finally filled 

this gap ten years ago. With craftsmanship, the finest ingredients 

and a selection of special beers, such as “Malbu 

Bock”, which was inspired by the winter sports resort of 

Malbun, it has now established itself on a beer market 

previously dominated solely by Swiss breweries. The 

re-emergence of a Liechtenstein beer culture is enriched 

by a micro brewery from the south of the country. In recent 

years, the Prinzenbräu brewery from Balzers has delighted 

its growing fan base with naturally cloudy ales. 

Liechtenstein’s first whisky 

Tradition and innovation are now combined at the Telser distillery 

in Triesen. The familyrun business has been distilling 

a range of fine spirits for over 130 years and hit the headlines 

a few years ago with Liechtenstein’s first whisky. International 

experts rate Telsington Whisky as one of the best European


whiskeys. “As the name suggests, whisky is the water of 

life. It’s up to each producer to find his own unique style”, 

says Marcel Telser, owner and master distiller of the Telser 

distillery, “That was the great task which cost me about 15 

years of preparatory work”. 

As the world renowned wine expert Hugh Johnson once 

said: “In a world of tough competition – and this is certainly 

the world of wine today – distinctive features are important”. 

In Liechtenstein this also holds true not only for its 

wines, but for all beverages “made in Liechtenstein”. 

Three questions 

to Princess Marie 

How important is wine to you? 

First and foremost, and for me at least, wine is a delicious 

product which I very much enjoy on various occasions 

and as a drink to accompany meals. I also associate wine 

very much with conviviality, a good meal with friends or 

a family celebration. In moderation, wine can help to 

create a good mood and be a perfect way to round off an 

evening. In addition, wine is an incredibly multifaceted 

natural product which is influenced by various environmental 

factors, so it’s always good for a pleasant surprise. 

How has your view of wine and its production changed 

since you became a qualified sommelière? 

My training course helped me to become much more 

aware of just how diverse wine can be. Each wine is a 

product of meticulous craftsmanship, both in the vineyard 

and in the cellar. 

How often are you personally out and about in the 

vineyards of the Prince of Liechtenstein Winery? 

All too rarely, unfortunately, but if I find the time, I enjoy 

the beauty of the landscape and try to learn a lot from Mr 

Weinmeyer, our oenologist and managing director. He’s 

been with us at the Winery for almost 35 years and knows 

every vineyard and vine there is. 

A personal snapshot 

Princess Marie of Liechtenstein has supported the Prince 

of Liechtenstein Winery in the field of marketing and sales 

since 2013. She has also been a qualified sommelière since 

the start of 2014. 

Princess Marie 


As a child I always thought pharmacies were wonderful, they 

were so clean and had such a nice smell, so I wanted to work 

in a pharmacy. 

What do you like best about your job? 

The opportunity I have to always discover something new, 

and getting to know different people. 

What does education mean for you? 

Education is extremely important and essential for the development 

of any society. We therefore try to provide our children 

with a good education and further training, and give 

them helpful support whenever possible. 

49

Culture/Taste 

Bringing smiles to 

people’s faces 

She is a drama teacher, wife and mother. In her capacity as managing 

director of junges THEATER liechtenstein, she is also called on to be 

an entrepreneur, writer, director, actress, lighting technician and 

engineer … doing voluntary work is a matter of course for her: 

Beatrice Brunhart-Risch on her quite normal daily life. 

Text: Doris Büchel · Photo: Roland Korner 

50


You almost forget to register what she’s saying – because simply 

the way she says it is captivating: Beatrice Brunhart-Risch 

truly pulls out all the stops. She tells her story over the drinks 

counter slowly and deliberately, almost as if she were singing; 

all the time she moves her body back and forth, walks to and 

fro, and underscores her words deliberately with pointed 

gestures. At the start of the meeting in the foyer of junges 

THEATER liechtenstein, directly on the Hauptstrasse in 

Schaan, she says she would prefer to stand during the interview 

– as if she wants to give her temperament the space it 

requires. Beatrice is a busy woman. There’s hardly anything 

she doesn’t put her hands to – though more out of necessity 

than as a virtue: In the junges THEATER liechtenstein, her 

second home, life revolves around productions. And whenever 

there’s a production coming up, you’ll find her busy working 

in her hands-on way. That’s why one minute you’ll find her up 

on a ladder, adjusting spotlights so that they are pointed just 

right, but before you know it she’s sitting behind the computer 

drafting requests and proposals, or forging business plans. 

On rare occasions she also appears as an actress in the spotlight. 

But what she most enjoys doing, she does every day: 

telling stories and bringing smiles to people’s faces. 

Recognising one’s own resources 

“You don’t have to teach a small child how to act. It’s a basic 

human desire, it happens automatically”, she says. Even so, 

not everyone is capable of sharing the stage with other people. 

This is the precise point which marks the origin of the 

junges THEATER. Here – in this wonderfully dark atmosphere 

of the theatre which has just enough of everything, but 

never too much – people with and without mental disabilities 

from the age of 3 to 90 learn to develop their own personalities. 

They learn how to appear confidently in front of others, 

to use language effectively, and to better understand their 

own body language. They also learn how to give themselves 

and the people they are interacting with the required space 

to do this in a group. The door is always open to anyone interested 

in theatre. “On the one hand, yes, we support gifted 

people, but we don’t measure anyone on the basis of their 

shortcomings. That’s an extremely important aspect of teaching 

drama. Everyone can be sure to discover their strengths 

at our theatre”. 

You don’t have to teach a 

small child how to act. 

Theatre education as an art form 

The independent association junges THEATER liechtenstein 

was founded in 2001. It promotes theatre education as a holistic 

education and training programme and as a recognised art 

form in Liechtenstein. At the heart of the work is the notion 

that “amateurs (can always) put on an act”. All the plays, written 

and produced by the junges THEATER specialists themselves, 

are based on sound theatre education principles according 

to the official mission statement. Or as Beatrice puts it: 

“We view the child not as a consumer but above all as an actor”. 

Consequently, the idea behind “junges THEATER” is not 

that young people act in front of a young audience. Rather, it is 

the declaration of a method in which each group, irrespective 

of age, develops a new product. “We all arrive at a sequence of 

scenes through a process of improvisation, go from there to a 

play and then arrive at a dialogue or text, though only at the 

very end. So the spoken word only comes at the very end”. 

“Every child gets the chance to act” 

A question which has exercised Beatrice, the tireless doer, 

for many years is how schools can improve on the ways they 

teach drama. Or more specifically, how they can get children 

to act. For years she found herself “knocking on doors and 

pitching three productions from one kindergarten to the 

next”. This resulted in the setting up of the Theatre Education 

Centre (TPZ). Her tireless dedication has paid off: today, 

the non-profit organisation officially collaborates with the 

Liechtenstein School Board, carries out as many as sixty 

school theatre projects a year and regularly stages all-day 

school theatre events. “That’s absolutely wonderful, because 

we can now reach each and every child. It doesn’t matter 

whether education plays an important part in their homes or 

not – every child gets the chance to act”. And so Beatrice 

does what she likes doing best: telling stories and bringing 

smiles to people’s faces. 

51

Culture/Taste 

Advertorial 

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What Huber Fine Watches & Jewellery offers in Vaduz is an absolute gem – 

in both senses of the word. Text + Photo: Huber Uhren & Schmuck 

Anyone who happens to be staying in Vaduz should visit 

the “White Cube”. The 20-metre cubic building combines 

architecture, art, watches and jewellery in a unique 

way. Inside the cube, Huber presents watches and select 

jewellery in a pleasantly subtle setting. Precious items 

are clearly put in perspective with meticulous attention 

to detail. The focus is always on the visitor – who might 

easily be a local customer or a client from anywhere in 

the world. In each case, the extremely helpful team at 

Huber ensures their well-being. A few steps further on 

in the Städtle, the “World of Watches” invites shoppers to 

explore its emporium from July of this year. Huber offers 

all the major Swiss luxury watch brands in this shop-inshop 

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52 

Huber Fine Watches & Jewellery 

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www.huber.li


LIVING CULTURE 

The Principality of 


Tradition is more than just a word – it is a cultural 

asset which Liechtensteiners are proud of. This explains 

why deeply cherished customs and traditions 

such as the national public holiday and “Fasnacht” 

(Carnival) are still very much a part of the local 

cultural fabric. Alongside tradition, modernity has 

stepped up to take its place in the form of contemporary 

art exhibitions, which accounts for one of the 

Principality’s most attractive features. 

Text: Joël Grandchamp · Photo: Roland Korner 

Museums are places, where treasures are kept and put on 

display. Sometimes it's “love at first sight”, sometimes the 

charms of a treasure are only revealed during a second, 

closer look – and sometimes not at all. But that is precisely 

the allure of a treasure hunt in a museum. And many treasures, 

large and small, beg to be discovered in Liechtenstein. 

Specifically, the capital Vaduz can easily be regarded as the 

cultural centre of the country by virtue of its six museums. 

Yet it is not only the exhibitions of contemporary art in the 

Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts and the Hilti Art Foundation, 

or the “Liechtenstein Treasure Chamber”, which is home 

to a Fabergé egg, real Moon rock and the unique treasures of 

the Princely Collections, that have gained recognition far beyond 

the country's borders. What also attracts international 

attention is the cooperation with the Bad RagARTz festival 

which is held every three years. After all, many statues and 

sculptures are on display all year round and have become 

part and parcel of the pedestrian zone in Vaduz. Architectural 

masterpieces ultimately turn the town’s Städtle into a synthesis 

of the arts. Although it is not signposted, the 

Culture Trail which is depicted on the following 

page as a recommendation for a walk, brings together 

sculptures, architectural sites and museums 

on a leisurely stroll through Vaduz. 

@ 

For further details 

please visit 

53 


culturetrail

Culture/Taste 

2 

4 

2 

Start 

1 

3 

4 

6 

5 

7 

Segway 

Discover Vaduz on a 

guided Segway tour. 

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“Liechtenstein all inclusive” 

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City-Train 

Enjoy Vaduz in 35 minutes 

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54 

www.fahrspass.li 

www.erlebnispass.li 

www.citytrain.li 

Tips

CULTURE TRAIL 

1 3 

Rathaus Vaduz 

Reclining Woman 

Built according to plans This sculpture by Fernando Botero shows 

by Franz Roeckle in 1932, a reposing female nude as a symbol of the 

the town hall is modelled dormant soul. 

on a medieval public work. 

Standing right in front of it 

is Nag Arnoldi’s expressive 

bronze “Tre Cavalli”, which 

displays influences by 

Marino Marini as well as Pablo Picasso. 


8Government District 

Taken together, the Government Building, 

which dates back to 1905, the Parliament Building 

and the National Archives by architect Hansjörg 

Göritz have formed the redesigned Government 

District on the striking Peter-Kaiser-Platz 

since 2008. 

8 

2Salmann Building 

The Salmann Investment Management AG 

building features striking modern architecture, 

making a walk through the Beckagässli more than 

rewarding. Designed by the Cuban and French architect 

Ricardo Porro, the building is framed by a 

wind chime which is currently deactivated, though 

only for reasons of noise protection. 

9 

10 

4Museum of Fine Arts 

Designed by the team of architects Meinrad 

Morger, Heinrich Degelo and Christian Kerez, 

the distinctive black cube has been complemented 

since 2015 by the Hilti Art Foundation building, 

which was created by the Basel architects 

Morger and Dettli. 

5 Engländerbau 

The English Building was built in 1933 by 

the Schaan architect Erwin Hinderer. It was the 

first building in the country to be constructed 

with structural steel framing. Today, it houses 

the Liechtenstein Treasure Chamber, the Postage 

Stamp Museum and the Art Space. 

9Prince Franz 

Josef II and 

Princess Gina 

To commemorate the 

70th wedding anniversary 

of the late 

Prince and Princess, 

the two busts created 

by Berlin artist 

Bertrand Freisleben were unveiled in the autumn 

of 2013. 

Cathedral of St. Florin 

10This neo-Gothic three-nave church was 

built between 1869 and 1873. The cathedral also 

contains the crypt of the Princely Family of 

Liechtenstein. 

11 

11 

6African King 

Artist Gunther 

Stilling devotes a 

major part of his 

work to the human 

head. 

7 Z-Cube 

This letter structure by Liechtenstein artist 

Georg Malin depicts the letter Z, which appears 

back-to-front when viewed from the outside. 

11 Marxerhäuser 

Designed by star architect Hans Hollein, 

the asymmetrical building connects directly 

to a building by architects Anton Falkeis and 

Cornelia Falkeis-Senn which is modelled on a 

ship. The latter, in turn, opens up on its eastern 

side to a well-tended garden. 

55

Kultur/Genuss 

“I never really 

wanted to write 

my own book” 

56


Two years ago, Sabrina Vogt published a book about Liechtenstein 

legends. For the young author from Triesenberg, what 

mattered was not so much the emphasis on local language, 

but the challenge of setting down narrative elements in writing. 

Text: Joël Grandchamp · Photo: Roland Korner 

Every schoolchild has their favourite subjects 

as well as subjects they’d prefer to see banned 

from the curriculum during their time at 

school. What were yours and why? 

Sabrina Vogt: I pretty much liked every subject 

in primary school. What I most liked was reading 

adventure stories and taking part in workshops 

on various topics. In high school, I found that I 

was useless at science, so maths never managed 

to be my favourite subject. I’ve always enjoyed 

history, economics and biology – and languages, 

too, though I must admit I lacked a certain 

amount of self-discipline at times. 

Where did you get the idea of writing your 

own book? 

I never really wanted to write my own book – but 

I always wanted to design one (laughs). I guess I 

want to breathe a bit of life into our culture of storytelling 

with my book. I come from a design background 

and so, for me, it seemed obvious that I 

should use design concepts to make this understandable 

to the reader. The book evolved from my 

attempt to solve this problem creatively in terms of 

design. Of course I had to write texts for my book, 

but these aren’t what the book is mainly about. The 

texts convey the story, but it is the design aspect 

which breathes life into the whole thing. So writing 

for me was more a means to an end. 

OK, but why did you specifically choose the 

culture of storytelling? 

Well, when I was young I didn’t get that many 

things read out loud to me. Instead, a lot of stories 

were told by mouth in the family. My grandparents 

were very good storytellers and I always 

enjoyed listening to them. Then, as I got older, I 

noticed that storytelling no longer had any great 

importance – especially the stories of legends 

which were told by mouth. Of course there are 

people who are good at reading stories out loud, 

but their efforts often fall flat, for me at least, 

because gestures and facial expressions are frequently 

lost in the process. So I thought it was 

really important to show that you can still tell 

stories to people. Come on, let’s be honest, what 

could be more exciting than a mystical legend 

told in an original, traditional dialect? 

Why then did you choose a book of legends 

for your project? Surely some other form 

would have been able to advance the culture 

of storytelling. 

Legends are incredibly important for our storytelling 

culture. In earlier times, many people in 

Liechtenstein were unable to read or write, so 

they told stories instead. Legends provided a 

certain, comforting mainstay in life and showed 

which rules were important in society. And 

there’s another thing, too. It’s not just that I like 

listening to stories, it’s also that I enjoy being 

halfway scared to death! Legends usually have 

some sort of villain or frightening creature capable 

of scaring the life out of you for nights on 

end. Although I was raised in what we call modern 

times, legends have always fascinated me. I 

always had in mind: “Well, that’s like in the story 

of the night people, maybe I shouldn’t go down 

that route”. I could never understand when people 

asked me who the night people were. I immediately 

had to tell them who they were. So for me, 

this project lay close to my heart – also because I 

felt sad that nobody seems to know these stories 

anymore. That said, the point wasn’t just that the 

legends are fading, but that they can perhaps 

even live on and continue to evolve. 

How did you solve the dilemma of ensuring 

that the legends remain alive, so to speak, 

in your book? 

Storytelling draws its lifeblood from being spontaneous, 

from adapting and incorporating new 

aspects in the best possible way to reach the 

audience. Stories remain interesting when they 

are told. If they are written down, they lose their 

magic and become nothing more than letters on 

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58


sheets of paper. I analysed what makes storytelling so exciting. 

Contributory factors include the pitch of the voice, facial 

expressions and gestures; things that you can’t really express 

on paper. In other words, the dilemma I faced was to solve the 

shortcomings of what had been written down with a creative 

design approach that would still retain the narrative aspect. 

The question was whether it is possible to transfer all the thrilling 

aspects of storytelling to a written medium. I tried to solve 

this through the book design, which explains why it was so 

colourful and sophisticated in its choice of typography. I’m not 

bothered whether everything is retold 1:1. What interests me 

is that a story lives from the way it is interpreted. That alone 

should provide food for thought. 

What was the biggest challenge you faced in writing the book? 

Given that the project was so incredibly close to my heart, 

everything more or less went automatically. I often asked 

myself whether the book was good enough for me to get it 

published. Obviously, you want it to be perfect, but at some 

stage you just have to say: OK, that's enough. So my biggest 

challenge was to stop working on the book. The more personal 

a project is, the more personally you also take the critique 

which it inevitably attracts. So one of the best and most amazing 

things which ever happened to me was when I won the 

Book Prize for Liechtenstein’s best book. 

What was the response to your book? 

The feedback was incredibly good. The first edition has almost 

sold out in the meantime. Personally, I had the idea of presenting 

the book after it had been published, but I wasn’t really prepared 

for requests to take part in special reading events, to appear at 

special functions or even to become involved in new projects. The 

demand is still there; I even received e-mails from people living 

in North Germany who had bought the book and liked it. I think 

it’s great that my book has become well known beyond international 

borders. 

Have you completely adapted or simply summarised 

the legends? 

I’ve adapted and reinterpreted, or embellished, the legends a 

bit. Guilty as charged, your Honour! (laughs). I've tried to incorporate 

things which I heard and were told to me at an early 

stage in life. For me, that makes the stories more lively and, 

in any case, they always changed when they were passed on 

mouth to mouth. Apart from that, my stories are based on the 

last written records by the people from Liechtenstein. 

Do you think that local legends should also be included 

in the school curriculum? 

I think it’s important that pupils learn something about 

Liechtenstein legends. Who knows, perhaps they could even be 

taught as part of history lessons. After all, they provide an insight 

into our culture. They help us gain an idea of what was 

once on people’s minds and how all of us from Liechtenstein 

have evolved. Just because things are better for us today than 

they were in the past doesn't necessarily mean that we can’t 

learn anything from the past. My book has been deposited at 

the teaching materials media centre. As a result, kindergarten 

teachers and other educationists have come across the book 

and actively integrate it into the classroom. Even so, it is not 

a prescribed text in the Liechtenstein educational curriculum. 

Are the legends only from Liechtenstein or are they from 

the region? 

All of them comprise legends from Liechtenstein and most 

of their settings are also located in Liechtenstein. The Killers’ 

Castle, for example, is actually located on the other side of the 

border. But I included it in the book, mainly because it plays a 

major role in the stories that surround Balzers. Such legends 

have always struck a strong chord among people in Liechtenstein 

and have been instrumental in shaping their character. 

What is your favourite legend? 

As someone from Balzers, I more or less have to say it’s the 

legend of the Balzers Dragon (laughs). Partly, that’s because 

I know the area very well and can pretty much relate to 

everything there. I actually attended kindergarten at Mariahilf 

in Balzers, so I could see the dragon on the chapel and, 

in any case, the “dragon’s dens” were never too far away. I 

also like the legend of Sücka Keres, because my grandfather 

can tell it particularly well. Keres is an interesting character 

because he was a bit rude but also likeable at the same time: 

it’s easy even to feel a little sorry for him. He was actually a 

decent man, but he’d run up debts to the devil, which isn’t 

exactly the way to go. So he started turning to crooked 

things. Although he was rescued, he still comes off as being 

a tragic figure because he’s condemned to keep haunting 

places up there on the mountainside. 

Sabrina Vogt 


I always wanted to be a zoologist. I seem to remember 

always lugging around some bulky volume written by 

a wildlife expert with me. 



The Matura at the Vaduz grammar school, the course I took 

in Innsbruck to become a graphics designer and my studies 

in Konstanz, where I graduated in Communications Design. 


in education? 

I can well remember that I accomplished many things through 

sheer willpower and a healthy dose of stubbornness. I managed 

to achieve goals which I thought were all but impossible at 

the outset. Above all, I had to learn not to be put off by others, 

even though that wasn’t always so easy at times. 

59

Kultur/Genuss 

Culture/Taste 

Event highlights 

2017/2018 

For people young or old and for those veering towards the unconventional or the 

traditional – boredom is not an option in Liechtenstein. After all, a wide range 

of events in each municipality throughout the year provides highly diversified 

entertainment. Visitors can enjoy regional and international theatre productions, 

be whisked away to new worlds of ideas during reading events or at the Vaduz 

film festival, or simply dance their socks off at music festivals. In the following we 

present to you a small selection of events in Liechtenstein. The entire list of current 

events can be found at www.tourismus.li/events. 

Rock around Malbun 

1 – 2 July 2017, Malbun 

www.rockaroundmalbun.li 

Fascination Pyramids 

6 July 2017 – 14 January 2018 

www.landesmuseum.li 

FL1 Life Festival 

7 – 8 July 2017, Schaan 

SAL Saal am Lindenplatz 

www.fl1.life 

25. ligita Liechtensteiner Gitarrentage 

8 – 15 July 2017 

Liechtensteiner Unterland 

www.ligita.li 

Vaduz Soundz 

27 – 29 July 2017, Vaduz 

www.vaduzsoundz.li 

2017 CEV Beach Volleyball 

1 – 13 August 2017 

Vaduz Rathausplatz 

www.beachvolley.li 

Vaduz Film Festival 

3 – 27 August 2017, Vaduz 

Peter-Kaiser-Platz, 

www.filmfest.li 

Donkey Festival in Malbun 

5 August 2017, Malbun 

Liftstation Täli 

www.eselfest.li 

Liechtenstein national public holiday 

15 August 2017, Vaduz 

www.staatsfeiertag.li 

Vaduz Classic 

24 – 27 August 2017, Vaduz 

www.vaduzclassic.li 

The Princely Liechtenstein Tattoo 

31 August – 2 September 2017 

Schellenberg, castle ruins 

www.princely-tattoo.li 

Kimsooja Exhibition 

22 September 2017 – 14 January 2018 

www.kunstmuseum.li 

Alpabtrieb–Bringing down the cattle 

from mountain pastures 

September, depending on the weather. 

Triesenberg, Steg 

www.vbo.li 

Triesenberg Weeks 

typical local dishes 

13 October – 19 November 2017 

Triesenberg 

www.triesenberger-wochen.li 

Vaduz on Ice 

11 November 2017 – 8 January 2018 

www.vaduz-on-ice.li 

Vaduz Christmas market 

9 – 10 Dezember 2017 

Vaduz Städtle 

www.erlebevaduz.li 

Start of the skiing season in Malbun 

December 2017, depending on the 

weather, Malbun 

www.bergbahnen.li 

60


Fasnacht – Carnival 

8 – 13 February 2018, Liechtenstein 

www.fasnacht.li 

SlowUp Werdenberg-Liechtenstein 

May 2018, Liechtenstein/Werdenberg 

www.slowup-werdenberg-liechtenstein.ch 

18. LGT Alpine Marathon 

16 June 2018, from Bendern to Malbun 

www.lgt-alpin-marathon.li 

Liechtenstein national public holiday 

15 August 2018, Vaduz 

www.staatsfeiertag.li 

300 musicians assembled in front of the Schellenberg castle 61 ruins during 

“The Princely Liechtenstein Tattoo”.

Culture/Taste 

A lifelong 

apprentice 

His works are represented in international collections; he worked for ten years 

on the “Apocalypse according to St. John”; his second large cycle of graphics 

“Vähtreb- Viehtrieb” (Cattle Drive) eventually appeared after more than eight years 

in the making. Despite his reputation, says today’s 83-year-old Martin Frommelt, 

who is one of Liechtenstein’s most important artists, “as long as you're alive, you're 

always an apprentice”. 

Text: Doris Büchel · Photos: Roland Korner 

Martin Frommelt is waiting in the 

doorway. He still seems a little undecided 

as to whether he should welcome 

the visit or not. And that’s hardly surprising, 

as it soon turns out. After all, 

his stable, which has been converted 

into an atelier, workshop and storeroom 

in the village centre of Schaan, is a wonderful 

place to work away and hold one’s 

tongue. But once your interviewer has 

stepped over the threshold, the supposed 

scepticism starts to disappear. 

The conversation immediately begins 

on a guided tour of his impressive 

studio. Before long we find ourselves 

chatting about his father – a carpenter, 

master joiner and architect – from 

Martin Frommelt 

What did you want to be when 

you were a child? 

A wood carver. 

What were the most important 

stages in your educational 

career? 

Elementary school, the Marianum, 

my apprenticeship under Pastor Frommelt, 

the Ecole des beaux arts in Paris. 

What do you appreciate most from your time in education? 

Persistence and keeping at it. 

whom he acquired his understanding 

and appreciation of different forms; 

about the uncle on his mother’s side, 

a farmer with whom he used to make 

models together, and about a seminal 

experience: “My uncle and I would go 

as far as buying books on anatomy in 

Feldkirch so that we could faithfully 

reproduce our model busts”, remembers 

Frommelt. He proudly presented 

the finished work to his uncle on his 

father’s side. The latter was Anton 

Frommelt, a priest, politician and artist. 

Anton scrutinised the work carefully 

before smashing it into pieces with 

a piece of wood. “In just half an hour he 

had destroyed what we 

had been working 

on every Sunday 

morning for a 

year. I stood 

in the corner 

and cried”. 

Without education, 

you’re 

lost 

In hindsight he realised 

of course what kind 

of nonsense they’d been 

up to, says Frommelt and 

laughs. A four year old child does simple 

things and acts intuitively, he explains. 

At the age of ten or twelve, young people 

see things and think that they have to 

do them in exactly the same way. The 

more a child learns, the more it forgets 

to listen to its natural intuition. “You 

need a lifetime to get back to where you 

were as a four year old and to gain the 

freedom to be yourself. You remain an 

apprentice your whole life long”. Martin 

Frommelt, 83 years old, a modest, 

friendly and clever man, likes remembering 

things, and remembers them 

well. He speaks carefully and uses his 

words deliberately, just like his brush 

strokes. Often the pursuit of freedom, 

of a certain genius, comes too early, he 

thinks. “That’s ridiculous”, he says mildly. 

Youngsters frequently have a misconception 

of life as an artist and immediately 

want to be great artists. Sometimes 

there may be the odd person who actually 

realises this goal early on in life; yes, 

there are such exceptions. Yet that’s not 

what usually happens. “Anyone can photograph 

things with today’s cameras. 

Then, maybe, he or she’s a modern photographer. 

But an artist?” People who 

want to express or state something with 

their art need a certain experience of 

62


life. They have to have gone through a 

few setbacks at some stage, he reckons. 

“Without learning, you’re lost. Because 

without a certain education you can’t 

transfer your inner vision to the outside 

world”. 

An expedition to an unknown 

destination 

He himself learned graphic design from 

his uncle Anton for three years. Then, 

in 1952, he moved to Paris, where he 

devoted himself to the study of art at 

the École national des beaux arts. But it 

wasn’t the vibrant city which captivated 

the young man. Instead, the aspiring 

artist immersed himself – in a city far 

from home – in one of the most important 

works of his life. It took ten years 

for the “Apocalypse according to St. 

John” to appear: this print cycle, a huge 

sequence of coloured woodcuts consisting 

of 132 sheets, eventually saw the 

light of day in 1970. “The work totally 

devoured me”, he says, speaking into 

the silence, while outside the dull 

sounds of the drums in a carnival band 

pass by. Is it still possible for a young 

artist at the present time to devote 

himself for years in this way to a 

single work? On the artist’s website it 

says that dealing with a theme over a 

period of several years constitutes the 

biggest challenge of them all. It’s like an 

ex pedition with an unknown destination 

and an unknown outcome. Anyone who 

embarks on such works, on such a monumental 

scale, faces severe financial 

problems. Frommelt paraphrases this 

in his words: “Years pass until you finally 

reach the stage where you can come 

out with your work. All the time you still 

don't know whether it will be successful. 

You have to survive this, somehow”. 

He himself didn’t own a car in Paris and 

could only dream of a room with a bathroom. 

“I was fortunate that my brothers 

were slightly older than me, so at least 

I didn’t have to buy any clothes”. He 

laughs. Decades later – after Frommelt 

had already returned to Liechtenstein 

and become a recognised artist – he 

fetched countless specimen prints of the 

Apocalypse project from his archive and 

instilled new life into them. New panels 

representing a further development of 

the Apocalypse were created and prominently 

displayed in Feldkirch’s St. John’s 

Church in 2015. And his life’s work is 

not finished yet: A comprehensive book 

on the subject is in the pipeline, and the 

accompanying preparations will probably 

keep Frommelt busy for a long time 

to come. 

“Intellect is required” 

During this insight into his creative 

oeuvre, one thing strikes me: many of 

his works are monumental, extensive, 

huge: the powerful paintings, the impressive 

cycles, his intense work with 

enamel, meaning paintings burnt on 

copper, the lavish artistic designs in 

public spaces, which he still works on 

today. The expressive graphic narrative 

“Vähtreb-Viehtrieb” is also an 

impressive piece of work. It was eight 

years in the making and, on 135 pages, 

depicts the bleak life of livestock 

herders in the Alps in a pictorial 

style that also manages to be abstract 

at the same time. His “Apocalypse”, 

“Vähtreb” and “Creation – Five Constellations 

of Genesis” merge to form 

a trilogy and a significant part of his 

work. Just like his works, the biography 

of the Liechtenstein artist also 

comprises different corners and edges. 

“My life was never linear”, says Frommelt, 

who only “found the light” when 

he discovered art and its different 

forms and colours at school. He has 

had plenty of luck, he says. Because he 

recognised his talent, was understood 

by his parents and encouraged by his 

uncle and because he went his own 

way. Which was always ahead and 

has remained that way right up to today. 

Today – in the midst of this hotchpotch 

of pictures, books, paints and 

prints – the man who taught specialist 

painting classes says: “Yes, you need 

academic certificates and degrees. 

But too much schooling leads nowhere. 

You shouldn’t have to spend any longer 

than three years at an academy. The 

people there live in some kind of ivory 

tower. Everything revolves around art, 

everyone is interested solely in art”. 

Out there, in the real world, life is different, 

he thinks. The idea that the life 

of an artist is filled only with fun and 

fancy, he says, is a delusion. “Art is 

a language which you have to settle 

into. Intellect is not enough for me, 

personally speaking. But intellect is 

required”. 

63

Kultur/Genuss 

Culture/Taste 

Made in 


The idea of becoming a farmer at some stage had constantly been on Norman 

Hasler’s mind right from his childhood days. In 1977, his father established the 

Bangshof farm in Ruggell which Hasler successfully manages today together with 

his wife Isabel. The range of produce available at the Bangshof is remarkably large – 

and the ready market it finds is confined not only to the region. 

Text: Joël Grandchamp · Photos: Eddy Risch 

64


In Ruggell, everyone knows the Mother's Day breakfast at 

the Bangshof. What is known as a local event now attracts 

visitors from near and far to the Ruggell farm. “It’s already 

got to the stage that we can only accept guests with reservations. 

Quite simply, we’re running out of space for everyone”, 

is how Hasler comments on his success. In general, the 

“Buurazmorga” breakfast which he offers between May and 

late August in fine weather is in huge demand. In this case, 

the breakfast consists of produce which is mainly produced 

at the Bangshof itself. “We have to buy in a few products, 

such as some of the bread, because we can’t produce the 

quantity we need by ourselves”, says Hasler. For such products 

he also makes sure that he works with local partners. 

Breakfast can also be served in a large functions room all 

year round, but only by request and subject to reservation. 

Because the area can accommodate almost 200 people, it can 

also be hired for weddings and birthday parties. “We’ve observed 

a slight increase in our product sales over the past 

few years. But we’ve managed to more or less double the 

number of events we hold each year”, says Hasler. Although 

he’s toyed with the idea of expanding the farm so that it can 

accommodate further events, he’s rejected this possibility 

until now. “First come, first served!” he believes. 

At such events, Hasler attaches great importance to using 

his own produce. Cheese and dairy products, salads, strawberries, 

potatoes and other produce from the farm are lovingly 

arranged into dished plates or transformed into hearty 

meals. Those wishing to buy his products don’t have to go 

out of their way by taking a pilgrimage to the Ruggeller Riet, 

however. “I supply many retailers and the Migros stores in 

Liechtenstein with my products”, says Hasler. 

Interview with Mr Raschle, Alpine cheesemaker 

on Alp Guschg 

What requirements must a cheese meet in order to 

qualify as Alpine cheese? 

The milk used for the cheese must originate from the particular 

Alp. Usually, each Alp does this by itself. We have 

thirty cows on Alp Guschg. For our cheese we use a combination 

of both evening and morning milk. 

How many kinds of cheese does the Alp Guschg make? 

Five. We have a sour cheese and a normal cheese. And then 

there’s a soft cheese we call “mutschli”. We have different 

varieties of this cheese, for example with pepper or herbs. 

How much cheese is made each year on the Guschg Alp? 

We produce about two-and-a-half tons of cheese in the 

summer. It’s usually sold out by the end of the year. 

How many people are needed to make the cheese? 

There are two of us. I’ve been taken on to do this together 

with my girlfriend. In addition, we also take care of the cows 

and the other animals. Our workload easily enables us to do 

this. Preparations for the work gradually start in April. That’s 

when the first preparatory work takes place. The Alpine season 

itself lasts about three months, but altogether we work a 

good half of the year on the Alp; for the rest of the time we 

both do other jobs. 

How did you come to be an Alpine cheesemaker? 

I originally studied farming and went on to attend courses 

leading to a recognised cheese maker qualification. But 

there are also Alpine cheese makers who first gained a 

dairy technologist certificate. Everyone else does alpine 

dairy courses in order to work as a cheese maker. What’s 

more, my girlfriend also has a background in farming. 

65

Natur/Freizeit 

66



THE JOY OF 

PRISTINE NATURE 

The Principality of Liechtenstein is appreciated 

by many visitors because of its pristine mountain 

and natural landscapes. Fewer and fewer places 

on Earth enable you to experience such an unspoiled 

and intact environment – with all this 

reaching up to 2,599 metres above sea level. 

Photo: Heinz Staffelbach 

67



Long days, 

short nights 

This year already marks the 16 th time that Elfriede Beck 

will be packing up her belongings in Triesenberg and 

moving to her quarters in the Pfälzerhütte. 

Text: Joël Grandchamp · Photos: Mario Hübner/Roland Korner 

68


She will already have everything perfectly prepared when the 

first hikers reach the Pfälzerhütte at 2,108 m above sea level in 

June. Some of the guests will move into their night quarters 

upstairs, others will stop for something to eat before they continue 

on their hike – maybe up to the Naafkopf or across the 

Liechtenstein Trail to the Mannheimer Hütte, maybe back to 

Malbun and then down into the valley – back to everyday 

life. Either way, Elfriede Beck will be spending 14, 15 or even 

16 hours a day cooking, cleaning, organising, coordinating and 

enthusiastically taking care of her guests as she always does 

from June to October. Although she always has an open ear for 

any question or query, she sometimes has to put her foot down 

if, for example, someone persists in being noisy and disturbing 

others from getting a good night’s sleep or has had that famous 

one too many schnapps. Usually, however, she will go to bed, 

tired but happy, after her work is over. 

Cooking for fifteen nations 

So you might think that what she likes most are the quiet 

hours. The moments when she can look at the sunset and 

ponder about life in peace and quiet. Just as people like to 

do as tourists, before they start blissfully and tipsily drowning 

themselves in the sea of romanticism. Elfriede dismisses 

the idea with a laugh. Yes, the sunset on the Pfälzerhütte is 

fantastically beautiful, a genuine feast for the eyes, she 

says. And the simple beauty hut itself, built in 1928 by the 

German architect Ernst Sommerlad who lived in Liechtenstein 

during the 1920s and 1930s, is a wonderful place for 

dreaming and relaxing. But what she likes most, she says, 

is when the lounge and terrace are choc-a-bloc with all seats 

taken, when she’s hurrying and scurrying around and is up 

to her neck in work. Then she’s in her element, she says. 

She works seven days a week throughout the season, ensures 

that breakfast is served promptly at 7 in the morning and 

guarantees everyone that they can enjoy a tasty and sumptuous 

evening meal. She is supported by three, sometimes four 

employees. Most of her guests come from Germany, followed by 

hikers from Switzerland, and of course the locals, the regulars 

from Liechtenstein. She gets about 2,000 overnight bookings 

each season. Elfriede is especially fond of remembering one 

particular evening when she had the pleasure of cooking for 

guests from 15 nations, all of them from a globally established 

Liechtenstein company, and all at the same time. “For some it 

was please no pork, for others please no alcohol, some came in 

a suit and loafers, well, that was pretty unusual and challenging”, 

she says and laughs. 

Pfälzerhütte 

Situated 2,108 metres above sea level, the 

Pfälzerhütte is always open with a full service 

from around mid-June to around mid-October or 

the end of October. The hut is closed during the 

winter months with the exception of the adjacent 

“Adler” shelter. The cosy restaurant offers 50 

seats and the panoramic terrace is a wonderful 

spot to while away the hours. 

The Pfälzerhütte has 11 beds, 51 dormitory 

mattresses and a further 20 makeshift beds in 

the outbuilding as well as a common room for 

20-25 people. It is located on the Bettlerjoch, 

north of the Naafkopf, at the border to Austria 

and Switzerland, and on Liechtenstein territory. 

It is an ideal starting point for the Naafkopf 

(2,571 m) and for the Liechtenstein Trail, along 

which it is easy to reach the Brander Ferner, the 

Mannheimer Hütte (2,679 m) and the Schesaplana 

(2,965 m). Above the hut, on the way to 

the Naafkopf, there is a small climbing area, 

the routes of which feature levels of difficulty 

ranging from 4 to 7. 

(Source: www.tourismus.li) 

Sunsets compensate for everything 

But today – on this mild day in March – she is quite relaxed 

when we meet her at her home in Triesenberg. Since granddaughter 

Elena was born in February 2016, she has watched 

over her during the week, while daughter Silke runs the 

69


· Sareiserjoch 2000 m. a. s. l. 

· Four-seater chairlift Malbun – Sareis 

· Panoramic restaurant with a large sun terrace 

· View over 3 countries 

· Starting point for several hiking tours 

www.bergbahnen.li 

Current offers 

www.allmedia.li 

Zollstrasse 16 

9494 Schaan 

All billboards 

online 

Professional media planning. 

Since 1986. 

Google 

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ONLINE I PRINT I PLAKATE I VERKEHRSMITTEL I HR I RADIO I KINO 

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70


Sareis mountain guesthouse in the Liechtenstein resort 

of Malbun. The smell of freshly baked cakes wafts into the 

house, the first butterflies are flittering about outside and 

there are toys in the garden. She enjoys her new role as 

grandmother. Almost 40 years have passed since 16-yearold 

Elfriede from South Tyrol first arrived in Liechtenstein. 

Here she married and raised two children. As a young girl, 

Elfriede – one of seven siblings and someone who lost her 

father early on in life – learned to cook, to get things done 

and to lend a hand on her parent’s farm in the Vinschgau 

Valley. Over coffee and cake, she talks about her first job at 

Café Sele and about her time as a waitress in Splügen. For 

21 years she ran the Schneeflucht restaurant in Malbun, 

and from 1982 onwards she also helped out from time to 

time in the Pfälzerhütte. Eventually, the opportunity arose 

for her to take over the business as a leaseholder in 2002. 

Since then she has spent every summer in this special mountain 

hut at the very top in the Naaftal Valley, on the border to 

Austria and Switzerland. She says she rarely goes down to 

the valley during this period. Anyone thinking of unalloyed 

romanticism is mistaken. “Being the landlady of a mountain 

hut is no picnic”, she says bluntly. “You have to be physically 

fit, you have to take a hands-on approach and you have to be 

able to improvise. But at the same time you need tact and a 

sure instinct if you’re going to deal with everything and 

everyone”. That’s no problem for Elfriede. She has mastered 

more than a few impossible situations. Six-metre high snow 

walls, frozen water pipes, or the 15 Czech tourists who once 

set up camp in the dining room after a storm and hung up 

just about everything possible to dry. “You couldn’t imagine 

the smell”. She laughs. Those were the exceptions, she reckons. 

Just like herself, her guests feel relaxed in the mountains 

and “much happier than down in the valley”. Why is 

that? “Well, it’s the fresh mountain air, of course”, says 

Elfriede knowingly. Anyone coming to the hut has put in 

quite a bit of physical effort, so they’ve already truly earned 

their glass of must or the legendary Mountaineer’s Fry-Up 

– one of her specialities. 

Doesn’t she ever feel there’s simply too much work for her to 

handle? Does she miss her lady friends down in the valley 

when she spends weeks at a time up at the hut? Yes, it’s a bit 

of a shame, she says. Some social contacts gradually recede 

into the background or disappear over time. “But you have to 

take things as they are”. And when, against all the odds, she 

finds the time for a walk or for enjoying the sunset in peace 

and quiet, well, the world is perfectly OK anyway. 

Elfriede Beck 


I can no longer remember. 



My first experiences in the hospitality industry as 

a young girl in Merano. 

What would you like to learn again? 

I’m happy with things just the way they are. 

71


The skis he 

makes mean the 

world to him 

As a child, he wanted to be an inventor. As a teenager he “tweaked” Töffli* and took 

radios and tape recorders apart. Later, he convincingly won a Skiing World Cup event 

and impressed others, mainly as a sought-after test skier and gifted inventor. With his 

company “SKIBAUart AG”, Achim Vogt now produces exclusive skis for demanding 

individualists. 

Text: Michael Benvenuti · Photos: Oliver Hartmann 

“It's really like cooking. You have your ingredients and 

your recipe, which you continually try to improve. You fiddle 

about and experiment”, says Achim Vogt. For his ingredients 

he uses different wood cores, edgings, fibreglass, adhesives, 

films, Titanal inlays and rubber. The 46-year-old has to carry 

out a total of 52 work steps at his small factory in the industrial 

area of Schaan before the work is finished: the skis 

he makes mean the world to him. Vogt’s skis are handmade, 

unique and of the highest quality. This was not always the 

case. “For the first ten pairs of skis, I stood at the press 

until the morning hours. It wasn’t until the fine grinding 

stage that I noticed that something had gone wrong”. The 

skis ended up in the dustbin. “These moments were very 

hard”, says the man from Balzers when he remembers back 

to his beginnings as a self-employed ski producer in 2011. 

72 

Overcoming setbacks 

But Vogt got over the setbacks during his time as a young 

entrepreneur, just as he had done when as an active racer 

he was repeatedly plagued by injuries. Before long the first 

sports shops started having their proprietorial brands produced 

in the workshop of the Liechtensteiner who, in 1994, 

had managed to celebrate a World Cup victory in Tignes. “We 

sold around 250 pairs of skis in the first season, significantly 

more than we’d expected”. But clearly it wasn’t enough to ensure 

a livelihood. Although Vogt was steadily able to build up 

sales to about 500 pairs a year, his efforts simply did not pay 

off – at least, not in the financial sense. High-quality and expensive 

materials and dealers’ margins had their price. Ultimately 

it was too high a price to pay. So the passionate inventor 

started from scratch again in 2016. 

*small mopeds


Since then, Vogt, who had learned his craft as a ski developer 

at Swiss company Stöckli, has been selling his exclusive 

skis directly, without the need for expensive middlemen. 

Customers can choose from 21 ski shapes in four 

models, each of them customisable in their construction 

and design. “The word impossible doesn’t feature in my 

vocabulary”, he laughs. After all, he says, his aim is to 

make skis that are tailor-made for each customer. 

His son Lorenz got the ball rolling 

Obviously it’s extremely difficult to plan a career as a 

self-employed ski producer. Even so, Vogt’s current job 

can still be regarded as a logical consequence of talent 

and passion coupled with a little bit of luck. During his 

time as an active skier – Vogt wore the national colours 

of Liechtenstein in the Alpine Ski World Cup and represented 

the country at four Olympic Games from 1989 to 

2004 – the giant slalom specialist was considered a gifted 

inventor and soon became a sought-after test skier. 

This was perfectly OK on his part given his many injuries. 

“I’d never have been able to make a living solely 

from the prize money, you see”, grins Vogt. 

In 2016, Vogt was rewarded for his courage to challenge the 

existing business model and to embark on new paths for the 

relaunch of the company “SKIBAUart AG” by winning the 

Liechtenstein Rhine Valley’s 12th Business Plan Competition. 

When under contract with Stöckli towards the end of his 

career, he was already racing on skis which he had designed 

himself. In 2004, Vogt hung up his skis on the 

nail one last time and moved directly to the developer 

team of the Swiss company. But after six years he had 

had enough of living out of a suitcase. The ultimate reason 

for his professional reorientation, however, was a 

little one: his son Lorenz, who was born in 2010. “When 

my wife became pregnant, everything was quite clear: 

she was running a business, I wanted to go back to 

Liechtenstein anyway, so I gave up the job at Stöckli 

and became a househusband and father”. Although he 

sees this phase as the best and most enjoyable time of 

his life until now, the urge to be an inventor again, and 

preferably sooner rather than later, began stirring within 

him. The thought of making his own skis increasingly 

assumed concrete dimensions. In June 2011, Vogt 

was finally able to enter “SKIBAUart AG” in the commercial 

register. 

Achim Vogt 


An inventor, and later on a physics lab technician. 

What was the most important stage in your educational 

career? 

The sports commercial school in Buchs. 


in education? 

Languages (English and French) and accounting. 

It takes 52 work steps and a total of seven 

days for Vogt to produce a pair of skis. The 

working time alone amounts to six hours. 

@ 

Further details 

are available at 


skibuilder 

73



Liechtenstein from 

a bird’s eye view 

Toni Mähr is completely in his element when he’s in the air. 

For decades, the man from Liechtenstein has been a passionate 

hang-glider pilot and now reveals how he sees Liechtenstein in 

this photographic report. 

Text: Stefan Lenherr · Photos: Toni Mähr 

You could easily listen to Toni Mähr go on telling his stories for hours. He has 

been flying through the air underneath his hang-glider for 44 years. Once he 

ended up after a cross-country flight in Morocco with a group of Bedouin tribesmen. 

He stayed with them overnight in the Sahara before another adventure led 

him to the roof of the world, where he circled far above the world’s highest mountains 

and set down again a couple of hours later in the Nepalese jungle. Mähr 

has already seen 24 countries on each and every continent from a bird's eye 

view. What’s also true is that the Rhine Valley has its own, unique appeal: “We 

live here in an aviator’s paradise”, he says. “Wind conditions on our side of the 

Rhine may not be conducive to flying, but they could easily be so on the Swiss 

side. In this photographic report, he reveals how Liechtenstein looks through the 

eyes of an eagle. 

A wooden footbridge near 

the Sareis mountain station 

in Malbun offers convenient 

conditions for take-off. 

Despite all his experience, 

Mähr is highly concentrated 

before the flight begins. 

This is not 74the time or place 

to make any mistakes. 

Thanks to the 11-metre span 

of his hang-glider, Mähr can 

use the available thermals 

and quickly gain altitude.


View of the Alp Lawena with 

the Rhine Valley behind. 

Two worlds: on the left, 

unsullied nature; on the 

right, densely populated 75 

Liechtenstein.


@ 

Mähr aims for the landing 

area at the sports ground in 

Triesen and gently sets down. 

But he won’t be on the ground 

for long. 

Gallery 


paraglide 

What is the fascination of flying for you? 

The dream of flying has always interested me and never 

really left me in peace. To take off, to rise into the air, to be a 

little closer to the clouds, to leave the earthly vale of tears behind 

me ... In short, I’m fascinated by the ability to fly like an 

eagle. 

What kind of feeling do you get when you’re flying with 

your hang-glider? 

It’s the feeling of overcoming gravity, not leaping into the 

abyss, but floating in the sky with the gentle support of a 

thermal. The feeling of moving about free as a bird in the 

air, of using my skills and under my own power, of escaping 

gravity: yes, that has always been my dream. My thoughts 

run free when I fly. I look at the Earth from a different perspective. 

The many things I think are so important when 

I’m on the ground become “smaller” and, well, not quite so 

important. 

What have been your most impressive experiences during 

your hang-gliding career? 

The high mountains in Nepal, floating above wild animals in 

southern Africa, above the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Peru, 

above the Grand Canyon in the USA, above the outback in 

Australia, above the Dolomites in Italy… the list just goes on 

and on … 

What is the most beautiful view for you high above 

Liechtenstein? 

The panoramic vista high above the 

Drei Schwestern (The Three Sisters) 

mountain. 

Toni Mähr 



I always wanted to be up there in 

the air. My dream as a child was to 

be some kind of pilot. 

What do you like best about your job? 

As a construction manager, I’m always on the move. 

The work also offers plenty of variety and opportunities 

to meet people. 

What does education mean for you? 

Progress. 

76


«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 

77


LAKE CONSTANCE 

SWITZERLAND 

Ruggell Family Route 

The approximately 19-kilometre round trip 

through the Ruggeller Riet is ideal for families 

and invites cyclists to stop off at various 

spots on the way. Particularly beautiful 

views can be enjoyed when the iris flower 

comes into blossom. The tour ends at the 

“Grossabünt” bathing lake and playground 

in Gamprin. 

RHEIN 

Length: 20 km 

Ascent: 22 m 

Duration: 1,5 h 

Highest point: 449 m ü.d.M. 

RUGGELL 

FELDKIRCH 

The Five Castle Tour 

This 45 kilometre-long bicycle 

tour leads past five castles and 

fortresses in Liechtenstein 

and Switzerland. 

GAMPRIN 

Length: 45 km 

Ascent: 72 m 

Duration: 3.00 h 


Buchs 

Vaduz 

Wartau 

LIECHTENSTEIN 

RHEIN 

Balzers 

@ 

Sargans 

Bicycle tour 

Lake Constance to Vaduz 

78 


tourlakeconstance

BREGENZ 


AUSTRIA 

LUSTENAU 

In and around 

Liechtenstein by bike 

Liechtenstein can easily be reached by bike from 

Lake Constance along 60 km of signposted cycle 

trails. Although it is located in the middle of the 

mountains, there are not only mountain bike tours, 

but also nice and easy rides for families and pleasureseekers, 

making it ideal for an outing from Lake Constance. 

Illustration: Oliver Hartmann 

Specialities Route 

There’s a lot to see and enjoy on this 

trail through the Liechtenstein lowlands. 

From Balzers to Ruggell there are 

plenty of hostelries and restaurants where 

you can sample regional specialities. 

Length: 32 km 

Elevation: 200 m 

Duration: 2,5 h 


The Three Nations Tour 

The approximately 60 kilometre-long 

Three Nation Tour takes you between 

the Rhine Valley and mountain peaks 

of Vaduz to the medieval setting of 

Feldkirch, and through Switzerland 

back to Liechtenstein. 

Length: 59 km 

Elevation: 99 m 

Duration: 4.00 h 


79


DREAM AND ENJOY 

The Princely 


Tattoo 

2017 already marks the sixth time that 

“The Princely Liechtenstein Tattoo” will 

be held in the historic ruins of Schellenberg 

in Liechtenstein. The mystical 

atmosphere of the castle ruins, which 

are perched on the hill overlooking the 

surrounding forest, the intriguing and 

breathtaking shows, and the interaction 

between participants and spectators 

delight around 5,500 spectators every 

year. You, too, will be amazed at the 

sight of some 300 musicians, dancers 

and guards from Estonia, the Netherlands, 

Italy, the UK, Ireland, Germany, 

Switzerland and Liechtenstein. So be 

there when the ruins once again open 

their gates to the public! 

We would be delighted to have the 

honour of welcoming you to one of 

our shows at the historic castle ruins 

of Schellenberg from 31 August to 

2 September 2017. 

www.princely-tattoo.li 

www.facebook.com/PrincelyTattoo 

Handcrafted 

Natural Soaps 

from Liechtenstein 

Unique, soothing, caring – the natural 

soaps from liechtenkind.li are lovingly 

created in Liechtenstein and made with 

great care using only the best ingredients 

– such as real brewery beer, exquisite 

Demmel coffee, organic milk and honey 

from Liechtenstein or Telser whisky and 

gin. Connoisseurs’ noses are pampered 

with fine scents while the skin is nourished 

and becomes exceptionally soft to 

touch. Each of these works of art is a fragrant 

piece of Liechtenstein which you 

can choose to give as a gift to others or 

simply enjoy by yourself! 

Alternatively, surprise your customers 

and business partners with your own 

logo: natural soap with an individual design, 

fragrance, colour and creative packaging. 

Always made with lots of love ... 

Weitere Informationen 

T +423 373 93 03 

www.liechtenkind.li or 

www.b2b.liechtenkind.com 

Your Alpine Coach 

In many places, stress and the mad rush 

to get things done are part and parcel of 

everyday life nowadays. The demand for 

ways to relax is on the up and up. Rosaria 

M. Heeb has recognised this need: she 

helps people find their inner peace 

through outdoor exercise and offers 

them individual coaching. She calls 

her guidance package “Alpencoach”. 

Step by step to emotional harmony 

“Whoever exercises in the outdoors is 

able to strike an inner balance. This 

gift is something that many of my customers 

have lost in the hustle and bustle 

of everyday life”, explains Rosaria. 

“As an Alpencoach, I pursue a holistic 

approach which includes the body, 

mind and soul, because people can 

draw on new energy when these three 

elements are in harmony with each other”. 

Rosaria M. Heeb is a fully trained hiking 

guide with a “Federal Swiss Specialist 

Certificate” and has an MSc in Entrepreneurship. 

Rosaria M. Heeb 

www.alpencoach.li 

80


Kommod 

"The Kommod, based in Ruggell, offers 

an extraordinary all-round service to 

the business world in the unique business 

location in Liechtenstein. Situated 

close to the highway, Kommod has an 

excellent access right next to sports 

facilities and the beautiful local nature 

reserve Ruggeller Riet. 

It lacks for nothing when it comes to 

infrastructure: from individual sized 

business offices to a modern business 

and data center, a high service copying 

center, seminar rooms, hotel rooms, a 

restaurant, a trendy bar and for exclusive 

requirements and car lovers the 

one and only Parklusiv. 

The Kommod exudes an inspiring atmosphere 

which forms a significant and 

unique springboard for successful companies. 

Sharing energies, experiencing 

innovation and building success: Yes, 

that is what definies Kommod. 

kommod 

office & commercial building, Ruggell 

Tel. +423 377 37 77 www.kommod.li 

www.parklusiv.li 

Family Holidays 

At Their Best 

A holiday is always the best time of the 

year. All family members should be able 

to enjoy a well-earned break to the fullest. 

By staying with us you can discover 

something new every day, be thrilled by 

exciting experiences or simply while 

away the day. 

We love just as much as cool kids and 

teens. Hotel Gorfion offers lots of variety 

as well as that extra special touch for 

everyone. By knowing what children 

really want, we are able to balance their 

wishes against those of their parents. 

A schedule for children and grown-ups, 

a few hours’ break for the adults and allday 

child care are included, as well as a 

sumptuous buffet breakfast, a light 

lunch and an evening meal. 

What’s more, this spring we’ve been 

busy giving ourselves a new makeover 

for the summer – we’ve been renovating 

in a big way. So prepare to be surprised! 

Hotel Gorfion, Malbun 

Tel. +423 265 90 00 www.gorfion.li 

With the most 

beautiful view over 


Hubertus Real’s beautiful panoramic 

restaurant “Marée” offers not only very 

special and award-wining cuisine – as 

we all know – but also and most definitely 

the sunniest view of the magnificently 

scenic backdrop to our country. The 

landscape is frequently bathed in a 

magical light – especially the majestic 

“Adler nest” (Eagle's nest), which appears 

to float in the trees. 

A place that you not only want to, but 

absolutely must show your guests; an 

ideal rendezvous for a dinner with 

friends, visitors or business partners 

whom you’d like to pamper and impress. 

In any case, it’s the perfect place for a 

romantic candle-light dinner, for a family 

celebration or for a wedding which is 

sure to result in a memorable and successful 

occasion. 

Park Hotel Sonnenhof, Vaduz 

Tel. +423 239 02 02 www.sonnenhof.li 

81

Stuttgart 

270 km 

Fürstentum 


Deutschland 

München 

240 km 

Basel 

190 km 

Bern 

230 km 

Zürich 

110 km 

Bodensee 

Österreich 

Innsbruck 

170 km 

Schweiz 

Italien 

Mailand 

250 km 

Liechtenstein facts & figures 

Surface area: 160 km 2 

Number of inhabitants: 37,686 

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: 38.4 % industry, 0.8 % farming, 

and 60.9 % 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: Bureau of Statistics, population statistics 2016 

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• 

Translation: Interlingua Anstalt, Vaduz • Acquisition and distribution: Allmedia AG, Schaan • 

Printing: BVD Druck+Verlag, Schaan • Print run: 7,000 copies (English edition) • Appearance: July 2017 

Cover photoshoot: Sagenweg Triesenberg • Photographer: Roland Korner • Model: Sabrina Vogt 

82

www.huber.li

oho #4 - The magazine of the Principality of Liechtenstein

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