Kunsthaus case

Last updated January 26, 2025

The Kunsthaus case was a political controversy in Liechtenstein that lasted from 1985 to 1989 regarding alleged power abuse of president of the Liechtenstein state court Erich Seeger by overturning a ruling of the court in 1984. The controversy damaged the reputation of the state court and caused in tensions among party lines, resulting in early elections being called in 1988.

Affair

In 1969, Franz Joseph II allowed for artworks owned by the House of Liechtenstein to be displayed in a new museum built in Liechtenstein.^[1] In 1975, Vaduz permitted land for the museum to be built on and it was approved via a local referendum in 1980. In 1983, a new popular initiative succeeded in obtaining enough signatures to make another referendum regarding the building of the museum. However, the initiative was rejected by the Vaduz municipal council, the government and finally the Liechtenstein state court.^[2]

On 22 May 1984, the people behind the initiative appealed for a reconsideration of the state court's ruling, which was approved on 15 October. However, on 9 November, the president of the state court Erich Seeger ordered a new investigation and on 15 February 1985 overturned the previous ruling and rejected the reconsideration. This damaged the reputation of the state court and resulted in several resignations by member.^[2] In April 1985 Seeger was charged by the public prosecution office for abuse of power in the state court. Despite it being found that an abuse of power had taken place, he was subsequently acquitted in May 1987.^[2]

In 1988, the Progressive Citizens' Party sought to form a commission in the Landtag of Liechtenstein to investigate the power abuse further. However, it was rejected by the majority Patriotic Union.^[2] As a result, on 21 December 1988 all the members of the Landtag belonging to the Progressive Citizens' Party resigned in protest and early elections were called. In the subsequent 1989 general election the Patriotic Union maintained its majority.^[3] The people behind the popular initiative had formed the Non-Party List in 1987, which sought to challenge the political dominance of both parties.^[4] It contested the election, but failed to reach the electoral threshold to win seats in the Landtag.^[3]

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">Mario Frick (politician)</span> Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1993 to 2001

Mario K. Frick is a lawyer and politician from Liechtenstein who served as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein in 1993, under the government of Markus Büchel.

Gustav Schädler was a teacher and politician from Liechtenstein who served as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1922 to 1928. He previously served in the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 1919 to 1922.

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 2 February 1997 to elect the 25 members of the Landtag. The Patriotic Union (VU) won a majority of thirteen seats, with the Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) winning ten. The Free List (FL) won two seats. Voter turnout was 86.8%.

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 1 February 1970. The Patriotic Union won eight of the 15 seats in the Landtag, the first time it had held a majority since its formation in 1936. However, it continued the coalition government with the Progressive Citizens' Party, which had existed 1938. Voter turnout was 95%, although only male citizens were allowed to vote.

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 31 January and 2 February 1986. The result was a victory for the Patriotic Union, which won 8 of the 15 seats in the Landtag. The Progressive Citizens' Party won seven seats, whilst the new Free List was less than 1% short of the 8% electoral threshold and failed to win a seat.

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 3 and 5 March 1989. The result was a victory for the Patriotic Union, which won 13 of the 25 seats in the Landtag, which had been enlarged by 10 seats compared to the 1986 elections. Voter turnout was 91%. Early elections were called due to the Kunsthaus case, where the Progressive Citizens' Party's Landtag members resigned in protest to the VU refusing to support an investigation into power abuse by the Liechtenstein state court in 1985.

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.

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 6 February 1949. The Progressive Citizens' Party won eight of the 15 seats in the Landtag, but remained in coalition with the Patriotic Union.

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 15 February 1953. The Progressive Citizens' Party won eight of the 15 seats in the Landtag, but remained in coalition with the Patriotic Union. This was the first and only election contested by the Workers' and Peasants' Party.

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.

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 1 September 1957. The Progressive Citizens' Party won eight of the 15 seats in the Landtag, but remained in coalition with the Patriotic Union.

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.

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 25 March 1962. The Progressive Citizens' Party won eight of the 15 seats in the Landtag, but remained in coalition with the Patriotic Union. This was the first election contested by the Christian Social Party.

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 6 February 1966. The Progressive Citizens' Party won eight of the 15 seats in the Landtag, but remained in coalition with the Patriotic Union.

The Christian-Social People's Party, often shortened to simply the People's Party, was a social liberal political party in Liechtenstein. It tended to be more popular in the Oberland, and supported closer ties with Switzerland as opposed to Austria. Founded in 1918, the Christian-Social People's Party and the Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) were the first political parties in Liechtenstein.

The Non-Party List Liechtenstein was a political party in Liechtenstein that existed from 1987 to 1999.

Liechtenstein Homeland Service was a political party in Liechtenstein that advocated corporate statism and the abolition of party politics. Shortly after its founding, the party also moved towards Nazism. It merged with the Christian-Social People's Party to form the Patriotic Union in 1936.

The Third Hans Brunhart cabinet was the governing body of Liechtenstein from 30 April 1986 to 5 June 1989. It was appointed by Hans-Adam on behalf of Franz Joseph II and chaired by Hans Brunhart.

Jürgen Beck is a politician from Liechtenstein who served in the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 2005 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2021.

References

↑ Wanger, Harald (31 December 2011). "Liechtenstein, Franz Josef II". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 15 June 2023.
1 2 3 4 Marxer, Wilfred (31 December 2011). "Staatsgerichtshofaffäre (Kunsthausfall)". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 11 August 2024.
1 2 "Ergebnisse der Landtagwahlen 1989". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 6 March 1989. p. 3. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
↑ Marxer, Wilfred (31 December 2011). "Überparteiliche Liste". Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 25 January 2025.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[:7-1] Wanger, Harald (31 December 2011). "Liechtenstein, Franz Josef II". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 15 June 2023.

[:1-2] 1 2 3 4 Marxer, Wilfred (31 December 2011). "Staatsgerichtshofaffäre (Kunsthausfall)". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 11 August 2024.

[:2-3] 1 2 "Ergebnisse der Landtagwahlen 1989". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 6 March 1989. p. 3. Retrieved 25 January 2025.

[:0-4] Marxer, Wilfred (31 December 2011). "Überparteiliche Liste". Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 25 January 2025.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]