Hans-Adam II (Johannes (Hans) Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marko d'Aviano Pius von und zu Liechtenstein; born 14 February 1945,
ZurichZürich or Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. The city is Switzerland's main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne...
), is the currently reigning 15th
Prince of Liechtenstein. He is the son of
Franz Joseph II, Prince of LiechtensteinFranz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein, , was the 14th Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein from 1938 until his death...
(1906-1989) and his wife
Countess Georgina von WilczekCountess Georgine "Gina" Norberte Johanna Franziska Antonie Marie Raphaela von Wilczek was the daughter of Ferdinand, Count of Wilczek and his wife, Countess Norbertine Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau . She was born in Graz, and was the mother of Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein...
(1921-1989). He also bears the titles
Duke of Troppau and Jägerndorf, Count of Rietberg. He descends directly in male line of only three of the previous fourteen Princes of Liechtenstein, and of another (and again from two of the above mentioned three) in female line.
Powers
The Prince of
LiechtensteinThe Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine microstate in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over 160 km² and it has an estimated population of 35,000...
has sweepingly broad powers; a
referendumA referendum , ballot question, or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal...
to adopt Hans-Adam's revision of the
constitutionA constitution is a set of rules for government—often codified as a written document—that establishes principles of an autonomous political entity. In the case of countries, this term refers specifically to a national constitution defining the fundamental political principles, and establishing the...
to expand his powers passed in 2003. The changes also included a republican option, whereby the Prince was henceforth formally barred from vetoing any bill to establish a republic. In addition, the right to secede for the parishes which make up the Principality was recognized. Prince Hans-Adam had threatened that he and his family would move to
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
if the referendum had failed. Despite opposition from Mario Frick, a former Prime Minister, the Prince's referendum motion was carried by the electorate. Actually, the personal influence of the Ruling Prince is increased by the republican option within the constitution, because, in this strongly pro-monarchy principality, he may more easily use the implied threat to resign as a means to pressure elected representatives and the electorate into accepting measures which he favours.
On 15 August 2004 Prince Hans-Adam II formally turned the power of making day-to-day governmental decisions over to his son Prince Alois, as a way of beginning a transition to a new generation. Formally, Hans-Adam remains
Head of StateHead of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state...
.
Personal wealth
Prince Hans-Adam owns LGT banking group and has a personal fortune of 5 billion dollars. He owns an extensive art collection, which is displayed for the public at the
Liechtenstein MuseumThe Liechtenstein Museum is in Vienna, Austria, named after the princely House of Liechtenstein, one of Europe's oldest noble families. The museum includes the Princely Collections containing important European works of art, forming one of the world's leading private art collections.The museum has...
in
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
,
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
. In December 2006, he was reported to be one of the world's richest heads of state.
Personal life
Hans-Adam's mother tongue is
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
but he is also fluent in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
,
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
and
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
.
On 30 July 1967, at Vaduz, Liechtenstein, he married his cousin
Marie Aglaë, Countess Kinsky von Wchinitz und TettauMarie Aglaë, Princess of Liechtenstein is the wife and cousin of Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein...
(born 1940) who, upon marriage, became Her Serene Highness
The Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein .
Their children are:
- Hereditary Prince Alois
Alois Philipp Maria, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg is the eldest son of Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein and his wife/cousin Marie Aglaë, Countess Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau...
(b. Zürich, 11 June 1968)
- Prince Maximilian Nikolaus Maria
Prince Maximilian Nikolaus Maria of Liechtenstein is the second son of Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein and Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein.- Education :...
(b. St Gallen, 16 May 1969) He married Angela Gisela Brown civilly in Vaduz on 21 January 2000 and religiously in New York City, New York, in the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer (New York), on 29 January 2000.
- Prince Alfons Constantin Maria (b. London, 18 May 2001)
- Prince Constantin Ferdinand Maria (b. St Gallen, 15 March 1972), married civilly in Vaduz
Vaduz is the capital of the principality of Liechtenstein and the seat of the national parliament. The town, located along the Rhine, has about 5,100 inhabitants , most of whom are Roman Catholic...
on 14 May 1999 and religiously in (CicovČíčov is a village and municipality in the Komarno District in the Nitra Region of south-west Slovakia.-Geography:The village lies at an altitude of 113 metres and covers an area of 29.503 km².It has a population of about 1,360 people....
), SlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava...
, on 18 July 1999 Maria Gräfin Kálnoky von Köröspatak (b. GrazGraz , with a population of 291,574 as of 2009 , is the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna and the capital of the federal state of Styria....
, 16 July 1975):
- Prince Moritz Emanuel Maria (b. New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 27 May 2003)
- Princess Georgina Maximiliana Tatiana Maria (b. Vienna
Vienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
, 23 July 2005)
- Prince Benedikt Ferdinand Hubertus Maria (b. Vienna
Vienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
, 18 May 2008)
- Princess Tatjana Nora Maria (b. St Gallen, 10 April 1973), married in Vaduz
Vaduz is the capital of the principality of Liechtenstein and the seat of the national parliament. The town, located along the Rhine, has about 5,100 inhabitants , most of whom are Roman Catholic...
on 5 June 1999 Matthias Claus-Just Carl Philipp von Lattorff (b. GrazGraz , with a population of 291,574 as of 2009 , is the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna and the capital of the federal state of Styria....
, 25 March 1968), 5 children:
- Lukas Marie von Lattorff (b. Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwestern Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, 13 May 2000)
- Elisabeth Maria Angela Tatjana von Lattorff (b. Grabs
Grabs is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Werdenberg in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.The city of Werdenberg with its castle is part of the municipality....
, 25 January 2002)
- Marie Teresa von Lattorff (b. Grabs
Grabs is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Werdenberg in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.The city of Werdenberg with its castle is part of the municipality....
, 18 January 2004)
- Camilla Maria Katharina von Lattorf (b. Monza
Monza is a city on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza....
, 4 November 2005)
- Anna Pia Theresia Maria von Lattorf (b. Goldgeben, 3 August 2007)
In 1969, Hans-Adam graduated from the prestigious
University of St. GallenThe University of St. Gallen is a research university based in St. Gallen, Switzerland.The University is generally known as HSG, which is an acronym derived from its full name Universität St. Gallen – Hochschule für Wirtschafts-, Rechts- und Sozialwissenschaften. It is also known in English as the...
with a degree in Business and Economic Studies.
The Prince is an honorary member of K.D.St.V. Nordgau Prag Stuttgart, a Catholic students'
fraternityFraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In English, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in North America, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
that is a member of the
Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen StudentenverbindungenThe Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen or Cartellverband is a German umbrella organization of Catholic male student fraternities .-Foundation:...
.
Prince Hans Adam II chairs the Advisory Council of the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-determination at Princeton University, LISD. In his childhood he joined the
Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen LiechtensteinsPfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Liechtensteins is the national Scouting and Guiding association of Liechtenstein. Scouting in Liechtenstein started in 1931, Guiding followed in 1932...
in Vaduz. He is also a former member of the Vienese Scout Group "
Wien 16-Schotten". He is a member of the
World Scout FoundationThe World Scout Foundation provides financial support for the growth and development of Scouting worldwide under the aegis of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. It sources capital donations from individuals, foundations, corporations, governments to provide the expansion of the Scouting...
.
Today he and his wife are patrons of Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Liechtensteins.
He is the 1,305th
KnightA knight was a "gentleman soldier" or member of the warrior class of the Middle Ages in Europe. In other Indo-European languages, cognates of cavalier or rider are more prevalent suggesting a connection to the knight's mode of transport...
of the
Order of the Golden FleeceNOT to be confused with the Golden Fleece Award.The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges in 1430 by Duke Philip III of Burgundy to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Isabel of Aviz.- Origin :...
in
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
.
Titles
According to their House Laws, the Reigning Prince shall bear the title:
- Reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, Duke of Troppau and Jägerndorf, Count of Rietberg
Rietberg is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approx. 10 km south of Gütersloh and 25 km north-west of Paderborn in the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The town is located at the river Ems. There are 28,878 people living in...
, Sovereign of the House of Liechtenstein
Ancestry
See also
- Princely Family of Liechtenstein
The Liechtenstein dynasty, from which the Principality takes its name , is the princely family of Liechtenstein. See also List of princes of Liechtenstein.- History :...
- List of Princes of Liechtenstein
- Line of succession to the Throne of Liechtenstein
- Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation
The Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation is a portfolio of private companies owned by the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. It is essentially a cap for a multitude of investments, such as the Liechtenstein Global Trust , the Hofkellerei wineries, Rice Tec Inc, and real estate holdings in Vienna,...
- Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University, LISD
External links