Liechtenstein

The history of the 6th smallest country in the world!

By Abigail Strauss

Today, I’ll be talking about the history of Liechtenstein—a small, often forgotten country in the heart of Europe. Honestly, I didn’t even know it existed until we drove past the border into it!

Liechtenstein today has a population of about 40,128 people. That’s enough to fill roughly 80% of the Colosseum! And with an area of about 62 square miles, it’s almost as big as Washington, D.C. It has 11 municipalities, the largest being Schaan, with about 6,000 residents.

But enough about how small it is—we’re here to talk about its history. Liechtenstein became a principality (a state ruled by a prince) in 1719, when the Liechtenstein family merged two lordships they had purchased. They were then granted princely status, thus creating the principality.

Liechtenstein’s most memorable military moment came during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, when they sent 80 soldiers to guard a mountain pass. When the soldiers returned, there were 81 of them. The extra man was thought to be either an Austrian officer or an Italian farmer. After this war, Liechtenstein disbanded its army, adopted a policy of neutrality, and has remained neutral to this day.

Liechtenstein now uses the Swiss franc but has used several currencies over the years. In 1898, it introduced its own currency—the krone—which was used alongside the Austro-Hungarian krone. In 1921, it switched to the Swiss franc because the krone fluctuated too much in value.

Now for some fun facts! Did you know that Liechtenstein is the world’s leading manufacturer of false teeth? Or that a group of 170 soldiers once accidentally wandered over the border, briefly "invading" their ally, Liechtenstein? And in 2011, you could actually rent out the entire country for $70,000 a night! The offer included custom street signs, a temporary national currency, wine tasting with Prince Hans-Adam II, and accommodations for up to 150 guests. No one ended up booking it—but it definitely boosted Liechtenstein’s international popularity.

In conclusion, even though the country might be small, the history and stories of it, from military mistakes, to renting out villages, continues to persevere even today. It’s a beautiful country, and great to visit. And who knows? Maybe they’ll even have a pair of false teeth for you.

Personal Note:

Liechtenstein was a really fun place to go to. Even though we weren't there for long, we had a great time. During our visit, we went to a coffee shop, and got to see how they roast their beans. But I think my favorite part about Liechtenstein is that we can claim to have depleted the country of their sticker resources. There was only one touristy shop that we saw the entire time, and there were only 5 stickers left. It was also absolutely beautiful while we were there. Since it's in the mountains, we got to see stunning views of nature. All in all, it was a really great experience, and I enjoyed it to the fullest.