1877 Liechtenstein general election

Last updated
1877 Liechtenstein general election
Flag of Liechtenstein (1852-1921).svg
  1875 30 April 1877 (first round)
18 October 1877 (second round)
1878  

14 seats in the Landtag
Landesverweser beforeLandesverweser after
Karl von Hausen Karl von Hausen

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 30 April 1877, with a second round on 18 October. The election was called following the dissolution of the Landtag due to a currency crisis in the country. The Landtag election that took place on 30 April was suspended and did not resume until 18 October.

Contents

Background

From 1873 to 1876, the Austro-Hungarian florin, which was being used as legal tender in Liechtenstein since 1859, dropped in value by 10%. [1] This created disadvantages in trade between Liechtenstein and Switzerland, especially for the Oberland region. [1] However, the Unterland region did not see any visible losses as it mainly traded with the region of Vorarlberg in Austria. [1]

In 1876, Liechtenstein gained monetary sovereignty in a renewed customs treaty with Austria. [1] This was followed by Liechtenstein adopting the Swiss franc as legal tender on 23 December 1876 following demands in the country for a stable gold currency. [1] The Unterland region opposed the adoption of the Swiss franc with region's four Landtag members resigning prior to the move. [1]

In response, the Unterland region threatened in January 1877 to secede from Liechtenstein to join Austria if the Landtag is not dissolved and if the adoption of the Swiss franc is not annulled. [1] The remaining Landtag members resigned on 15 January, with Prince Johann II dissolving the Landtag and suspending the adoption of the Swiss franc on 18 January. [1]

Electors

Electors were selected through elections that were held between 22 March and 14 April. Each municipality had two electors for every 100 inhabitants.

MunicipalityElectors+/–
Balzers 220
Eschen 180
Gamprin 60
Mauren 180
Planken 20
Ruggell 100
Schaan 200
Schellenberg 80
Triesen 180
Triesenberg 200
Vaduz 180
Total1600

Results

April election

The electors met on 30 April in Vaduz to elect twelve Landtag members and five substitute members. Of the 160 electors, 154 participated in the voting.

Eight elected as members on the first ballot:

In the first ballot, eight out of twelve seats of the Landtag were already filled with all of the elected members being from the Oberland region. Electors from Unterland did not participate in the second ballot which resulted to the election being suspended due to a lack of quorum.

October election

The election of the Landtag continued on 18 October after negotiations between the representatives of Oberland and Unterland. [1] Of the 160 electors, 148 participated in the voting. The electors voted for the remaining six Landtag members in the first ballot. Five substitute members were also elected in the first and third ballots.

Elected as members

  • Franz Josef Biedermann
  • Sebastian Heeb
  • Jakob Kaiser
  • Franz Josef Kind
  • Rudolf Schädler

Elected as substitutes in the first ballot

  • Anton Amann
  • Josef Gassner
  • Josef Tschetter

Elected as substitutes in the third ballot

  • Alois Rheinberger

Aftermath

The newly elected Landtag decided to dissolve with new elections scheduled in 1878 and to create the two electoral districts of Oberland and Unterland. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Liechtenstein</span>

Political identity came to the territory now occupied by the Principality of Liechtenstein in 814, with the formation of the subcountry of Lower Rhætia. Liechtenstein's borders have remained unchanged since 1434, when the Rhine established the border between the Holy Roman Empire and the Swiss cantons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1939 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 4 April 1939. Although a new system of proportional representation had been introduced to pacify voters at a time when the country was under threat from neighbouring Nazi Germany, it was not used and the elections became known as the "silent elections" as no actual vote was held. Instead, the governing Progressive Citizens' Party and opposition Patriotic Union formed a coalition, assigning a roughly equal number of seats each, in order to prevent the German National Movement in Liechtenstein from acquiring any seats in the Landtag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June 1953 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 14 June 1953. The elections were called ahead of schedule after the Patriotic Union members of the Landtag resigned over a dispute regarding the administrative composition of the old age and survivors' insurance office in Liechtenstein. The Progressive Citizens' Party won eight of the 15 seats in the Landtag, but remained in coalition with the Patriotic Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1958 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 23 March 1958. The elections were called ahead of schedule after the Patriotic Union members of the Landtag resigned over a dispute regarding the electoral law. The Progressive Citizens' Party won nine of the 15 seats in the Landtag, but remained in coalition with the Patriotic Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1862 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 24 November 1862. Twelve of the seats in the Landtag were indirectly elected by electors selected by voters. They were the first general elections held following the ratification of the 1862 Constitution of Liechtenstein in September of the same year, in which the Landtag was established.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1866 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 3 May 1866. Six of the seats in the Landtag were indirectly elected by electors selected by voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1869 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 29 April 1869. Six of the seats in the Landtag were indirectly elected by electors selected by voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1872 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein in March 1872. Seven of the seats in the Landtag were indirectly elected by electors selected by voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1875 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 8 May 1875. Six of the seats in the Landtag were indirectly elected by electors selected by voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1878 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 15 and 16 May 1878. New elections were called after the Landtag was dissolved as part of the compromise between the representatives of the Oberland and Unterland regions during the 1877 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1882 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 2 and 3 May 1882.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1886 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 19 and 20 April 1886.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1890 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 12 and 16 April 1890.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1894 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 16 and 17 May 1894.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1898 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 11 and 12 May 1898.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1902 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 3 and 4 September 1902.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1906 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 28 and 30 July 1906.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1910 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein 2 and 4 August 1910.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1914 Liechtenstein general election</span>

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 30 September 1914 and 2 October 1914.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Rheinberger</span> Liechtenstein captain and politician (1831–1893)

Peter Rheinberger was an engineer and captain in the Liechtenstein military. He later became a political figure and served in the Landtag of Liechtenstein. He was a member of the prominent Rheinberger family.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Büchel, Donat (31 December 2011). "Münzwirren". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein .

Literature