The current territory of the Liechtenstein formerly constituted a small portion of the Roman province of Rhétie. Before the advent of the current dynasty, the area was pledged with a branch of the family of the Habsbourg. If the history of Liechtenstein as a principality begins in 1719 when the emperor Charles VI unified the seigniory of Schellenberg and the county of Vaduz, the history of the country goes back to times much older.

Prehistory

The archaeological excavations make go up the settlement of Liechtenstein at least from. The country is located at crossroads between the North-South alpine road and the East-West road of the migrations. Hills of the valley of the Rhine, the hill on which throne the castle of Balzers in the south and Eschnerberg in north seem to be populated since the higher Paléolithique. Only the areas in altitude were occupied, the Rhine representing a permanent threat by its frequent believed in the plains. Certain place names enable us to think that the Rhètes, colonized the current territory of Liechtenstein, a territory which is subject to also probably a Celtic influence come from the west.

Roman period

Rhétie was conquered by the Romans and was declared Roman province in 15 {{avjc}}. A Roman way crossed the area of north to the south, crossing the the Alps by the master key of Splügen and following the edge of the easily flooded plains located along Right Bank of the the Rhine, of the plains remained uninhabited for a long time because of the frequent floods. Roman villas put at the day with Schaanwald and Nendeln and a fort set up by the Romans with to protect itself from the attacks from the Alamans testify to the density of colonization.

The Middle Ages

With the fall of the Roman Empire and the arrival of the Alamans the Latin and Germanic cultures cohabited during siècles.
The area was incorporated in the empire Carolingien and became a frank county in 806. To, Rhétie was directed by the counts of Bregenz whose line died out in 1152. Old Rhétie was then divided into various counties with the wire of the generations.

When the duchy of Souabe lost its Duke in 1268, all the vassal ones of this duchy became vassal direct imperial throne

The county of Vaduz was formed in 1342 as a small subdivision of the county of Werdenberg of the dynasty of Montfort of Vorarlberg. Starting from 1416, the territory is directed by the barons of Brandis. Those definitively fixed the borders of Liechtenstein by acquiring the septentrional part of the seigniory of Schellenberg, thus the borders of Liechtenstein remained identical since 1434.
In 1510, the last baron de Brandis sold the fields of Vaduz and Schellenberg to the counts of Sulz. Establishes in Klettgau, they directed these fields of outside. Roman catholics, they were made strong preserve fidelity in Rome in the county during the Réforme.

Was pilot of three wars, but the black period intervened with, with epidemics, repercussions of the Guerre Thirty Year old, even if Liechtenstein were not implied directly, and, moreover, because of a Chasse for the witches during whom more than 100 people were persecuted and carried out.

In 1613, the counts de Sulz sold the counties of Vaduz and Schellenberg to the counts de Hohenems who wished to create a state-plug between Switzerland and Austria. Since 1608, the leaders of Liechtenstein were high with the rank of Prince, though this title is not enough to allow their entry to the Council of the Princes.

Dynasty of Liechtenstein

The dynasty Liechtenstein had the vast wide ones of grounds, mainly in Moravie, Low-Austria and Styrie. However these large and rich territories were strongholds depending on the authority of other lords, in particular of various branches of the Habsbourg, whose Liechtenstein were close relations advisers, and aucunes was not held directly by the Emperor. This is why, the Liechtenstein dynasty was not likely least to obtain a seat with the Diète of Empire, the Reichstag nor to enjoy prestige and influence that generated. In order to be able to claim with the Council of the Princes, their attention was related to the fields of Vaduz and Schellenberg. Prince Johann Adam Andreas of Liechtenstein bought the field of Schellenberg in 1699 and the county of Vaduz in 1712. While buying this small territory made up of villages of mountains, which was directly subordinated to the Holy roman Empire since there was no more duke of Souabe, the Prince of Liechtenstein arrived at his fins.

The territory took the surname then directing the country. The Liechtenstein dynasty thus gave its name to the principality (and not the reverse); it draws its name from the Liechtenstein castle in Low-Austria which it had of approximately 1140 until XIIIe century and of 1807 to our days. The January 23rd 1719, the Emperor Charles VI of the Holy roman Empire issued that the counties of Vaduz and Schellenberg would be promoted with the row of imperial principality of Liechtenstein.

Liechtenstein became a sovereign state in 1806 when it joined the Confédération of the Rhine created by Napoleon following the dissolution of Germanic Holy roman Empire Romain. Whereas almost all the small German states disappeared, Liechtenstein succeeds in integrating this Confédération of the Rhine while remaining independent. For this period, the French occupied the country a few years, then Liechtenstein recovered its independence in 1815, within the German Confédération.

In Liechtenstein knew a delicate situation. Insulated economically, (its commercial exchanges stagnated) the principality became more and more in underdeveloped rural state, under the weight of heavy feudal taxes. The ideas of the revolution of 1848 found a positive feedback there. The population, by petitions invited the Prince to grant a new constitution, free elections, and the abolition of the feudal taxes to him.

A customs officer with Austria was concludes in 1852. This union attached Liechtenstein to the Austrian monetary system and also provided the foundations of the economic evolution of second half of the XIXe century. Manufactures developed, the first factories transfer the day and the first bank, the “Spar und Leihkasse”, was founded in 1861. Liechtenstein was connected to the international transportation routes in 1872 when the Austrian railroads inaugurated the line Feldkirch - Buchs.

In 1862, a new constitution founded a diet representing the people. In 1868, after the dissolution of the German Confederation, Liechtenstein dissolva its army made up of 80 men, and declared his neutrality permanent, a neutrality respected at the time of the two world wars.

Until the end of the First World War, Liechtenstein was closely related to Austria, but the economic disaster creates by the conflict forced the country to conclude a monetary and customs union with the Suisse. In 1919 Liechtestein and Switzerland signed a treaty by which Switzerland ensures the representation of the interests of Liechtenstein at a diplomatic and consular level in the countries where Switzerland is represented and not Liechtenstein. This agreement was followed into 1920 of a convention on the postal services.

This period is also that of a new constitution (1921) granting to the people mechanisms of direct democracy and avoiding the foreign prevalence on the principality: thus, the Liechtensteinois Prime Minister was from now on to be native principauté.
In 1938, the prince François-Joseph II of Liechtenstein became first prince de Liechtenstein to be resided in a permanent way at Liechtenstein. It diriga country since Vaduz until its death in 1989.

Contemporary period

After the Second world war (in which Liechtenstein remained neutral), the taxes relatively low of the country encouraged the economic growth and the country became an increasingly important money market then. Among the reasons of this success, one can quote the customs union with Switzerland and the adoption of the Swiss franc like national currency, a stable policy and social conditions.

In 1989, the Prince Hans-Adam II succeeded his father. In 1996, Russia put an end on a subject of discord between the two countries while returning the files of the Liechtenstein.
family Being a small country, but in order to make hear its voice with an international level, Liechtenstein joined several international organizations since the years 1950. In 1978, the country became member of the the Council of Europe before joining the United Nations in 1990, the European Free Trade Association in 1991 and the European Economic space (EEE) and the World Trade organization (OMC) in 1995.

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