Unterland (Liechtenstein)
 
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Municipalities of the lowlands |
The Unterland is a region and an administrative division in Liechtenstein . The lower country consists of the most Eschnerberg lying communities Eschen , Gamprin , Mauren and Ruggell and the municipality of Schellenberg on the Eschnerberg. At the end of 2017, the Unterland had 13,793 inhabitants (36% of the Liechtenstein population) and an area of 35.0 km² (22% of the Liechtenstein national area).
history
The Unterland is the northern part of Liechtenstein and includes the territory of the former Schellenberg rule . The terms Unterland and Oberland apparently only became common in the second half of the 19th century. Forerunners were the terms Lower and Upper Landscape from the early 18th century at the latest . In 1848 Karl Schädler and Governor Johann Michael Menzinger considered adding the communities of Schaan and Planken to the smaller Unterland.
After the value of the Austrian guilder , which had been legal tender in Liechtenstein since 1859, had a negative impact on trade with Switzerland and a political crisis. In the Oberland , the introduction of the more stable gold currency was called for, as in Switzerland. The Unterländer mainly traded with Vorarlberg and for the most part spoke out in favor of retaining the previous system. They asserted their interests against the greater Oberland, whereupon two independent electoral districts were created in 1878 . Since then, a guaranteed number of members of the state parliament and government members have ensured the Unterland's minority rights.
Border to the Oberland
Blue: Scheidgraben
Yellow: Border between Oberland and Unterland west and east of Scheidgraben
Red: Border between Liechtenstein and Switzerland
The Scheidgraben is the main border between the lower and upper lands. It rises in the Schwabbrünnen-Äscher nature reserve, runs east-west through the large Riet between Eschen and Schaan and flows into the Liechtenstein inland canal . The Scheidgraben is hardly noticeable in the landscape today, unlike the settlements in the two parts of the country, which are clearly spatially separated by the Riet.
Cultural
For the collective identity, in addition to belonging to the State of Liechtenstein, that to one of the two parts of the country - as well as to an individual municipality - was at least previously important. Unterland and Oberland differ in dialect ( → Liechtenstein dialects ). The derogatory term "Tschügger" used in the Oberland for the Unterländer indicates a mental demarcation.
See also
swell
- Konrad Kindle: Unterland. In: Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein . December 31, 2011 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Liechtenstein in Figures 2019. Office for Statistics, Principality of Liechtenstein, January 2019 (PDF; 1.6 MB)
- ↑ Donat Büchel: Coin twists. In: Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein . December 31, 2011 .
- ↑ Map of the Federal Office of Topography swisstopo (online), accessed on July 9, 2019.
- ↑ Jürgen Schindler: Scheidgraben. In: Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein . December 31, 2011 .