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Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein

 

 
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Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
 
 
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Hans-Adam II (Johannes (Hans) Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marko d'Aviano Pius von und zu Liechtenstein; born 14 February 1945, Zurich), is the currently reigning 15th Prince of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked country alpine country microstate in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and by Austria to the east....
. He is the son of Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein

Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein, , was the 14th Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein from 1938 until his death. His full title was F?rst von und zu Liechtenstein, Herzog von Troppau und J?gerndorf, Graf zu Rietberg....
 (1906-1989) and his wife Countess Georgina von Wilczek
Countess Georgina von Wilczek

Countess 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 ....
 (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.

Prince of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked country alpine country microstate in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and by Austria to the east....
 has sweepingly broad powers; a referendum
Referendum

A referendum , ballot question, or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire Constituency is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal....
 to adopt Hans-Adam's revision of the constitution
Constitution

A constitution is a system for government — often codified as a written document — that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity....
 to expand his powers passed in 2003.






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Hans-Adam II (Johannes (Hans) Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marko d'Aviano Pius von und zu Liechtenstein; born 14 February 1945, Zurich), is the currently reigning 15th Prince of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked country alpine country microstate in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and by Austria to the east....
. He is the son of Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein

Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein, , was the 14th Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein from 1938 until his death. His full title was F?rst von und zu Liechtenstein, Herzog von Troppau und J?gerndorf, Graf zu Rietberg....
 (1906-1989) and his wife Countess Georgina von Wilczek
Countess Georgina von Wilczek

Countess 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 ....
 (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 Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked country alpine country microstate in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and by Austria to the east....
 has sweepingly broad powers; a referendum
Referendum

A referendum , ballot question, or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire Constituency is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal....
 to adopt Hans-Adam's revision of the constitution
Constitution

A constitution is a system for government — often codified as a written document — that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity....
 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 Austria
Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country 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 State
Head of State

Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchic or republican nation-state, federation, commonwealth or any other political 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 Museum
Liechtenstein Museum

The 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....
 in Vienna
Vienna

Vienna is the Capital of 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...
, Austria
Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country 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 German
German language

German is a West Germanic languages, thus related to and classified alongside English language and Dutch language. It is one of the world's world language and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union....
 but he is also fluent in English
English language

English is a West Germanic language that originated in Anglo-Saxon England and has lingua franca status in many parts of the world as a result of the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the British Empire in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and that of the United States from the mid 20th century onwa...
, French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
 and Italian
Italian language

Italian is a Romance languages spoken by about 63 million people as a first language, primarily in Italy. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four Linguistic geography of Switzerlands....
.

On 30 July 1967, at Vaduz, Liechtenstein, he married his cousin Marie Aglaë, Countess Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau
Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein

Marie Agla?, Princess of Liechtenstein is the wife and cousin of Prince Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein of Liechtenstein. Princess Marie was born on 14 April, 1940 in Prague as the daughter of count Ferdinand Carl Kinsk? z Vchynic a Tetova and his wife countess Henriette von Ledebur-Wicheln in the then Protectorate of Bohemia and Morav...
 (born 1940) who, upon marriage, became Her Serene Highness The Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein .

Their children are:
  • Hereditary Prince Alois
    Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein

    Alois Philipp Maria, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg is the eldest son of F?rst Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein and his wife/cousin Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein....
     (b. Zürich, 11 June 1968)
  • Prince Maximilian Nikolaus Maria
    Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein

    Prince Maximilian Nikolaus Maria of Liechtenstein is the second son of Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein and Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein....
     (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

    Vaduz is the Capital of the principality of Liechtenstein and the seat of the Landtag of Liechtenstein. The town, located along the Rhine, has about inhabitants, most of whom are Roman Catholic Church....
     on 14 May 1999 and religiously in (Cicov
    Cícov

    C?cov is a village and municipality in the Komarno District in the Nitra Region of south-west Slovakia....
    ), Slovakia
    Slovakia

    Slovakia . It was amended in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president and again in February 2001 due to EU admission requirements....
    , on 18 July 1999 Maria Gräfin Kálnoky von Köröspatak (b. Graz
    Graz

    Graz , with a population of around 290,000 as of 2008 , is the List of cities and towns in Austria#List of cities and towns by population size 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 City

      The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
      , New York
      New York

      The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
      , 27 May 2003)
    • Princess Georgina Maximiliana Tatiana Maria (b. Vienna
      Vienna

      Vienna is the Capital of 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...
      , 23 July 2005)
    • Prince Benedikt Ferdinand Hubertus Maria (b. Vienna
      Vienna

      Vienna is the Capital of 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...
      , 18 May 2008)
  • Princess Tatjana Nora Maria (b. St Gallen, 10 April 1973), married in Vaduz
    Vaduz

    Vaduz is the Capital of the principality of Liechtenstein and the seat of the Landtag of Liechtenstein. The town, located along the Rhine, has about inhabitants, most of whom are Roman Catholic Church....
     on 5 June 1999 Matthias Claus-Just Carl Philipp von Lattorff (b. Graz
    Graz

    Graz , with a population of around 290,000 as of 2008 , is the List of cities and towns in Austria#List of cities and towns by population size 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

      Wiesbaden is a city in southwestern Germany and the capital of the States of Germany of Hesse. It has about 300,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 35,000 United States citizens ....
      , 13 May 2000)
    • Elisabeth Maria Angela Tatjana von Lattorff (b. Grabs
      Grabs

      Grabs is a Municipalities of Switzerland in the Wahlkreis of Werdenberg in the Cantons of Switzerland 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

      Grabs is a Municipalities of Switzerland in the Wahlkreis of Werdenberg in the Cantons of Switzerland 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

      Monza is a city on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po River, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15km 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. Gallen
University of St. Gallen

The '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 former name Hochschule f?r Wirtschafts-, Rechts- und Sozialwissenschaften St....
 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' fraternity that is a member of the Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen
Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen

The Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen or Cartellverband is a German umbrella organization of Catholic male student fraternities ....
. 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 Liechtensteins
Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Liechtensteins

Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Liechtensteins is the national Scouting and Girl Guides 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 Foundation
World Scout Foundation

The 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....
.

Today he and his wife are patrons of Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Liechtensteins.

He is the 1,305th Knight
Knight

File:Gothic armor 2.jpgKnight is the term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. In the Commonwealth of Nations, knighthood is a non-heritable form of gentry....
 of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece

The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in 1430 by Duke Philip III, Duke of Burgundy of Duchy of Burgundy to celebrate his marriage to the Portugal princess Isabel, Duchess of Burgundy....
 in Austria
Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country 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

Rietberg is a town in the G?tersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approx. 10 km south of G?tersloh and 25 km north-west of Paderborn in the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe....
, Sovereign of the House of Liechtenstein


See also

  • Princely Family of Liechtenstein
    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....
  • List of Princes of Liechtenstein
    List of princes of Liechtenstein

    The Liechtenstein dynasty, or Princely Family of Liechtenstein, after which the sovereign principality between Switzerland and Austria was named in 1719, hails from Castle Liechtenstein in Lower Austria, which the family possessed from at least 1140 to the thirteenth century, and from 1807 onward....
  • Line of succession to the Throne of Liechtenstein
  • Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation
    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 LGT Bank , the Hofkellerei wineries, Rice Tec Inc, and real estate holdings in Vienna, Austria....
  • Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University, LISD


External links

  • Real Audio sound file from the BBC.