Franz I (Liechtenstein)

Franz I of Liechtenstein in the uniform of the Sovereign Order of Malta

Franz I , Prince von und zu Liechtenstein , Duke of Troppau and Jägerndorf , Count of Rietberg (born August 28, 1853 at Liechtenstein Castle near Mödling ; † July 25, 1938 in Feldsberg ) was the ruling Prince of Liechtenstein from 1929 until his death .

biography

Franz was the youngest son of Prince Alois II of Liechtenstein . He studied law at the universities in Vienna and Prague and worked first in the military and later in diplomacy. He also supported his brother, Prince Johann II. From 1894 to 1898 Franz was the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Saint Petersburg and maintained a close relationship with Tsar Nicholas II. At his instigation, the Institute for Eastern European History was opened in 1907 at the University of Vienna , for which books and entire libraries in Russia were bought up.

In 1914 he became an honorary member of the Academy of Sciences in Vienna and was the 1,191 since 1917 . Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Austria. After the death of his brother Johann in 1929, he took control of Liechtenstein and ruled it from afar. In 1937 he founded the Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit and the Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit .

Since his marriage to Elsa von Gutmann (1875–1947) , which he entered into in 1929, remained childless, he was succeeded by his great-nephew Franz Josef II , whom he had entrusted with government duties since 1930 and who also became Prince Regent in 1938.

tomb

Liechtenstein crypt in Wranau

Prince Franz I was buried in the New Crypt of the Liechtenstein family crypt in Wranau , north of Brno.

His wife Princess Elsa found her final resting place in the Princely Crypt, completed in 1960, at the Catholic cathedral and parish church of St. Florin in Vaduz .

ancestors

Pedigree of Prince Franz I von und zu Liechtenstein
Great-grandparents	Prince Franz Josef I (1726–1781) ⚭ 1750 Countess Leopoldine von Sternberg (1733–1809)	Landgrave Joachim Egon zu Fürstenberg-Weitra (1749–1828) ⚭ Countess Sophia Theresia zu Oettingen-Wallerstein (1751–1835)	Prince Joseph Ernst Kinsky von Wchinitz and Tettau (1751–1798) ⚭ 1777 Countess Maria Rosália von Harrach (1758–1814)	Count Rudolf von Wrbna and Freudenthal (1761–1823) ⚭ 1785 Countess Maria-Theresia von Kaunitz- Rietberg- Questenberg (1763–1803)
Grandparents	Prince Johann I. Josef (1760–1836) ⚭ 1792 Landgravine Josefa zu Fürstenberg-Weitra (1776–1848)		Count Franz de Paula Kinsky von Wchinitz and Tettau (1784–1823) ⚭ Countess Therese von Wrbna and Freudenthal (1789–1874)
parents	Prince Alois II. (1796–1858) ⚭ 1831 Countess Franziska Kinsky von Wchinitz and Tettau (1813–1881)
Prince Franz I (1853–1938)

literature

Marija Wakounig: Liechtenstein, Franz I. (Franciscus de Paula) from. In: Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein .
Stekl: Liechtenstein Franz (I.) Fürst von und zu. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 5, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1972, p. 204 f. (Direct links on p. 204 , p. 205 ).
Peter Geiger: Liechtenstein, Franz I. von. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
Wilhelm Karl Prince of Isenburg: Family tables on the history of the European states. Volume I: The German States. 2nd improved edition, JA Stargardt Verlag, Marburg 1953, plates 175-179.
Detlef Schwennicke (Ed.): European family tables. Family tables on the history of the European states. New series (EST NF), Volume III / 1, JA Stargardt Verlag, Marburg, (EST NF III / 1), panels 30–39.
Norbert Jansen: Franz Josef II. Ruling prince from and to Liechtenstein. Festschrift for the 40th anniversary of the government of the SD Official Teaching Aid Publishing House, Vaduz 1978. (multilingual edition German-English-French).
Harald Wanger: The ruling princes of Liechtenstein. Frank P. van Eck Publishing House, Triesen 1995, ISBN 3-905501-22-8 .
Marija Wakounig: A Grand Seigneur of Diplomacy. The mission of Franz de Paula Prince von und zu Liechtenstein in St. Petersburg 1894–1898. Vienna [ua] 2007, ISBN 978-3-7000-0742-5 .

Web links

predecessor	Office	successor
Anton von Wolkenstein-Trostburg	Austro-Hungarian ambassador to Russia 1894–1898	Alois Lexa from Aehrenthal
Johann II.	Prince of Liechtenstein 1929–1938	Franz Josef II.

personal data
SURNAME	Franz I.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Franz I. von und zu Liechtenstein
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Prince of Liechtenstein
DATE OF BIRTH	August 28, 1853
PLACE OF BIRTH	Mödling
DATE OF DEATH	July 25, 1938
Place of death	Feldsberg