Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein
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| Francis Joseph II | |
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| Prince of Liechtenstein | |
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| Franz Joseph II official portrait | |
| Reign | 25 July 1938 – 13 November 1989 (51 years, 111 days) |
| Predecessor | Franz I |
| Successor | Hans-Adam II |
| Spouse | Countess Georgina von Wilczek |
| Issue | |
| Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein Prince Phillipp Prince Nikolaus Princess Nora Prince Franz Joseph |
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| House | House of Liechtenstein |
| Father | Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein |
| Mother | Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria |
| Born | 16 August 1906 Schloss Frauenthal, Styria, Austria |
| Died | 13 November 1989 (aged 83) |
Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein, (Franz Joseph Maria Aloys Alfred Karl Johannes Heinrich Michael Georg Ignaz Benediktus Gerhardus Majella), (16 August 1906, Schloss Frauenthal, Styria, Austria – 13 November 1989, Grabs, Switzerland) was the 14th Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein from 1938 until his death. His full title was Fürst von und zu Liechtenstein, Herzog von Troppau und Jägerndorf, Graf zu Rietberg.
He was the son of Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein and his wife Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria (daughter of Archduke Karl Ludwig). He succeeded his childless cousin, Prince Franz I, after his father renounced his right of succession in his favour in 1921.
During his reign women received voting rights for the first time, following a referendum on the topic (among men only) in 1984.
Franz Joseph was an extremely popular sovereign in Liechtenstein. He was the first ruling prince to live full-time in the principality. He also oversaw the economic development of Liechtenstein from a poor agricultural backwater into one of the richest countries (per capita) in the world.
He was the 1,240th Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Austria.
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[edit] World War II
Liechtenstein remained neutral throughout World War II, and its neutrality was never violated by any of the combatants. However, two factors have linked the Liechtensteinian state to the Axis cause:
- In 2005, it was revealed that Franz Joseph II profitted directly from the Holocaust. Labourers from the Strasshof concentration camp, provided by the SS, had worked on estates in Austria owned by the Liechtensteinian princely house.[1]
- At the end of the war, Liechtenstein gave asylum to about 500 soldiers of the First Russian National Army (a collaborationist Russian force within the German Wehrmacht). Eventually, Argentina agreed to permanently resettle the asylum seekers. In contrast, the British repatriated the Russians who fought on the side of Germany to the USSR.
[edit] Marriage and children
On 7 March 1943, at Vaduz, Franz Joseph II married Georgine ("Gina") Countess of Wilczeck (24 October 1921 – 18 October 1989). They had five children:
- Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein (born 1945)
- Prince Philipp Erasmus of Liechtenstein, full name: Prince Philipp Erasmus Alois Ferdinand Maria Sebaldus (b. Zürich, 19 August 1946), married in Brussels on 11 September 1971 Isabelle Fernande Ghislaine Guillemette Elisabeth de L'Arbre de Malander (b. Ronse, 24 November 1947), daughter of Jean Baptiste de L' Arbre de Malander and wife Guillemette Grassal, and had issue:
- Prince Alexander (b. Basel, 19 May 1972), married civilly in Vaduz on 24 January 2003 and religiously in Salzburg on 8 February 2003 Astrid Barbara Kohl (b. Regensburg, 13 September 1968), daughter of Theodor Kohl and wife Ingrid Schlechta, and had an only daughter:
- Princess Theodora Alexandra Isabella Antonia Nora Marie (b. Chêne-Bougeries, Geneva, Switzerland, 20 November 2004)
- Prince Wenzeslaus (b. Uccle, 12 May 1974); he used to date model Adriana Lima
- Prince Rudolf Ferdinand (b. Uccle, 7 September 1975)
- Prince Alexander (b. Basel, 19 May 1972), married civilly in Vaduz on 24 January 2003 and religiously in Salzburg on 8 February 2003 Astrid Barbara Kohl (b. Regensburg, 13 September 1968), daughter of Theodor Kohl and wife Ingrid Schlechta, and had an only daughter:
- Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein (born 1947), married Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, and had four children
- Princess Norberta "Nora" Elisabeth Maria Assunta Josefine Georgine et omnes sancti (b. Zürich, 31 October 1950), married in Vaduz civilly on 10 June 1988 and religiously on 11 June 1988 Don Vicente Sartorius y Cabeza de Vaca, Marqués de Mariño (Madrid, 30 November 1931 - Ibiza, 22 June 2002), and had an only daughter:
- Maria Teresa Sartorius y de Liechtenstein (b. Madrid, 21 November 1992)
- Prince Franz Joseph Wenzeslaus (Wenzel) Georg Maria (Zürich, 19 November 1962 - Vaduz, 28 February 1991)
[edit] Final years
Franz Joseph handed over most of his powers to his son, Hans-Adam, in 1984. Franz Joseph II died on 13 November 1989, a mere twenty-six days after his wife. Ruling Liechtenstein for 51 years, he was the longest-ruling sovereign in Europe at the time of his death.
[edit] Ancestry
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Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Born: 16 August 1906 Died: 13 November 1989 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Franz I |
Prince of Liechtenstein 1938–1989 |
Succeeded by Hans-Adam II |
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ BBC, "Nazi crimes taint Liechtenstein" 14 April, 2005 Access date: 3 April 2007.
