Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein

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Not to be confused with Prince Franz of Liechtenstein.

Franz I
Duke of Troppau and Jägerndorf
Count of Rietberg
Formal portrait by Hermann Clemens Kosel [de]
Prince of Liechtenstein
Reign11 February 1929 – 25 July 1938
PredecessorJohann II
SuccessorFranz Josef II
Prime MinisterJosef Hoop
Born(1853-08-28)28 August 1853
Liechtenstein Castle, Austrian Empire
Died25 July 1938(1938-07-25) (aged 84)
Feldberg, Czechoslovakia
Burial
Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Brno, Czechoslovakia
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1919)​
Names
Franz de Paula Maria Karl August
HouseLiechtenstein
FatherAloys II
MotherFranziska Kinsky
ReligionRoman Catholic
SignatureFranz I's signature

Franz I (Franz de Paula Maria Karl August; 28 August 1853 – 25 July 1938) was Prince of Liechtenstein from 11 February 1929 until his death in 1938.

Early life[edit]

Franz as ambassador to Russia from Austria.

Franz de Paula Maria Karl August was born on 28 August 1853, to Aloys II and his wife, Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau in Liechtenstein Castle. He attended the University of Vienna and the University of Prague before serving as the successor to Count Anton Graf von Wolkenstein-Trostburg as the Austro-Hungarian ambassador to the Russian Empire from 1894 to 1898.[1] He was the 1,204th Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Austria.[2]

He fell in love with Elisabeth von Gutmann, widow of Baron Géza Erős of Bethlenfalva (1866–1908), who had converted to Roman Catholicism from Judaism in 1899, but his brother Johann disapproved of the relationship and refused to consent to it. In 1919, he secretly married Gutmann in Salzberg and remarried her following Johann's death on 22 July 1929.[3][4]

Reign[edit]

Franz I with his wife, Princess Elsa in 1935

On 11 February 1929, Johann II died, passing the title of Prince of Liechtenstein to Franz. A few weeks after he took the title, 395,360 acres of land belonging to the Liechtenstein family was seized by Czechoslovakia. A delegation of farmers petitioned him to establish a republic in Liechtenstein, but ended their attempts when he stated that he would not give any of his money towards the country, forcing it to rely solely on taxation.[5]

In 1937, Prime Minister Josef Hoop admitted that Austrian pretender Otto von Habsburg was living in Liechtenstein Castle as a guest of Franz I in order to be closer to Austria rather than in his previous residence of Steenokkerzeel, Belgium.[6] An extradition treaty was also signed between Liechtenstein and the United States.[7]

He had no children so his first cousin once removed Prince Aloys was next in line, but Aloys removed himself from the line of succession in favor of his son, Franz Joseph, in 1923 as he was concerned about his age should be assume the role.[2][8]

On 31 March 1938, he made his first cousin twice removed Franz Joseph his regent following the Anschluss of Austria. After making him regent he moved to Feldberg, Czechoslovakia and on 25 July, he died while at one of his family's castles, Castle Feldberg, and Franz Joseph formally succeeded him as the Prince of Liechtenstein.[9][10]

Although Franz stated that he had given the regency to Franz Joseph due to his old age it was speculated that he did not wish to remain in control of the principality if Nazi Germany were to invade, primarily because his wife Elisabeth von Gutmann was of Jewish relation.[3][11]

Honours[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Prince Franz Liechtenstein". The Times. 19 October 1894. p. 3. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "Prince Franz von Liechtenstein The Hall of Holography Collection".
  3. ^ a b "Prince Franz of the 'Postage Stamp State' Retires". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 1 May 1938. p. 76. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Intrigue Suspected in Royal Romance". Daily News. 12 June 1938. p. 5. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Prince Franz". The Evening Sun. 22 March 1938. p. 3. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Nearer to Goal". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 16 December 1937. p. 4. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "U.S. And Liechtenstein Sign Extradition Pact". The Morning Post. 21 May 1936. p. 6. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ eejm (16 June 2013). "Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein". Unofficial Royalty. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Prince Franz to Return to Estate". Daily News. 1 April 1938. p. 216. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Oldest Former Ruler Succumbs". Kenosha News. 26 July 1938. p. 1. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "NAZIS IN CABINET IN LIECHTENSTEIN; Prince Franz Joseph, the New Ruler, Names Them Though Pledging Independence HITLER MOVEMENT GAINS Its Growing Strength Was One Reason for Abdication of Franz 1, Old Sovereign". The New York Times. 1 April 1938. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  12. ^ Megan C. Robertson (9 August 2008). "Principality of Liechtenstein: Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein". Medals of the World. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  13. ^ "Ritter-Orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, 1918, pp. 51, 57, retrieved 18 March 2021
  14. ^ a b "Ministerium des kaiserlichen und königlichen Hauses und des Aeussern", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, 1898, p. 217, retrieved 18 March 2021
  15. ^ Hof- und - Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern (1914), "Königliche Orden". p. 10

External links[edit]

Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein
Born: 28 August 1853 Died: 25 July 1938
Regnal titles
Preceded by Prince of Liechtenstein
1929–1938 		Succeeded by
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