Czech-Liechtenstein Society

On Tuesday, November 26, the Czech-Liechtenstein Society held its pre-Christmas gathering in the lounge of the Základna Restaurant in Prague. We would like to thank everyone who attended and contributed to the friendly atmosphere filled with engaging conversations and a sense of togetherness. We look forward to future events with you!

We are delighted to present the new Autumn/Winter issue of the ČLS Newsletter. You can read it here. We hope you will find the content engaging and full of valuable insights. Thank you for your support, and happy reading!

The exhibition focuses on the history of The Princely House of Liechtenstein, their influence on the Czech lands, and their approach to sustainability issues. It explores both the past and the family's current activities, particularly in the areas of environmental protection, architecture, and cultural heritage. It highlights, for example, the development of the Liechtenstein estates and their innovative approach to managing land, forests and water resources.

The exhibition is designed as a travelling display and has visited several cities across the Czech Republic. It is currently on view at Jungmann Square in Prague until October 6, and will be on display in the castle gardens in Valtice until October 13.

We would like to draw attention to an interesting event organized by the Brno City Museum. The lecture The Liechtensteins: 800 Years of Sustainability will take place on September 24 at 5:00 PM in Arnold Villa.

Come and listen to the captivating story of the Liechtenstein family and their approach to sustainability.

Please register here.

An exciting program is prepared for members for the weekend of October 11-13:

Friday, October 11, 5:00 PM: Panel discussion in Vienna on the topic “Czech Republic – Liechtenstein: A Shared Past and a Strong Future.”
Saturday, October 12, 12:00 PM: Excursion to the border park along the Dyje and Morava rivers in Hohenau.
Saturday, October 12, 7:00 PM: LVHF 2024 gala concert in Valtice featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.
Sunday, October 13, 9:30 AM: Group activity in Valtice Castle Park, concluding with the planting of a commemorative tree.
Details are available in the Planned Events section

This year's edition of the LVMF will offer a unique exploration of the connection between musical richness and Masonic symbolism. From the opening concert at Moravský Krumlov Castle to the final gala concert at Valtice Castle, visitors will have the opportunity to delve into the mysteries of music and discover new musical realms. The festival will take place from September 14 to October 12, 2024, promising unforgettable experiences.

You can purchase tickets on the official festival website HERE.

During a joint trip to Vaduz, members of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society had the unique opportunity to meet His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Alois. The pleasant atmosphere of the meeting was enriched by the Prince's memories of the Czech Republic, his interest in our activities, and the inquisitive questions from our members.

From June 13 to 15, 2024, members of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society embarked on an unforgettable visit to Vaduz. The program included a warm welcome at Vaduz Castle, a wine tasting at the princely winery, a meeting with Honorary Consul Thomas Zwiefelhofer, and visits to Hilti and the Liechtenstein Parliament. More information can be found in the Past Events section.

On April 6th, the General Assembly of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society took place at the spiritual center in Vranov u Brna. Petr Svoboda was re-elected as the chairman for the next three years. Zbyněk Šolc, the director of the Brno City Museum, became a new member of the society's board. For more information, please visit the Past Events section."

On February 21st, a meeting of the members of the Board of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society took place, primarily focused on the preparation for the upcoming General Assembly. It is scheduled for Saturday, April 6th, in Vranov u Brna.

to be seen from 16 February to 1 April this year in the Liechtenstein Garden Palace in Vienna.

Prince Johan Adam Andreas I von Liechtenstein (1657-1712) was a prominent patron of the arts and builder. His successful economic policy enabled him to expand his wealth, invest in works of art and building projects, and he became a key figure in the development of art collections and the construction of important buildings such as the Garden Palace and the City Palace in Vienna. Admission to the exhibition is free.

The Regional Museum in Kolín, in collaboration with Pavel Juřík, a board member of our society, has curated the exhibition titled "The Liechtensteins - 400 Years of the Princely House in Bohemia."

The exhibition opening took place on February 20, 2024, at the Veigert House in Kolín, attended by the First Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Věra Kovářová, Senator for the Kolín district Pavel Kárník, and the Honorary Consul of the Principality of Liechtenstein in the Czech Republic, Daniel Herman.

The Czech-Liechtenstein Society received with deep sorrow the news from the princely family that Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein passed away unexpectedly on December 5, 2023.

Prince Constantin was the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Liechtenstein Group AG and a member of the Board of Directors of the Liechtenstein Group Holding AG.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his widow Princess Marie von und zu Liechtenstein, and their children Moritz, Georgina, and Benedikt.

It is our great pleasure to inform you that a member of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society, Ivan Klánský, has received a state decoration. On the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the establishment of independent Czechoslovakia, it was presented to him by President Petr Pavel.

Professor Ivan Klánský is the Dean of the Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and a piano virtuoso. For his contributions to the field of art, he received the First Grade Medal of Merit from the President of the Republic.

Zdroj/Source: Fotoarchiv KPR, foto Zuzana Bönish

This year's 8th Lednice-Valtice Music Festival took place from 23 September to 7 October. The audience could enjoy great musical experiences, thematic lectures and new concert venues.

The Summer issue of the CLS Newsletter is available on our websites, you may also download it here. 

On Wednesday 24 May, the long-awaited exhibition commemorating the anniversary of the acquisition of the Opava Principality by Karl I of Lichtenstein was naugurated in the Silesian Museum in Opava with the participation of representatives of the Princely family. It will introduce visitors to the historical significance of the family and its influence on the development of the region over the last 400 years.

More information can be found in the Past Events section.

The Spring issue of the CLS Newsletter is available on our websites, you may also download it here. 

This year's General Assembly took place on Friday 14th April in Valtice in the Belveder Chateau. After the meeting, the guests visited the princely apartment of HSH Franz I of Lichtenstein. This was followed by a get-together in the restaurant of the Anton Florian Hotel.

On Saturday 25 March 2023, members of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society had the opportunity to attend a guided tour of the exhibition "Cast for Eternity - The Bronzes of the Princes of Liechtenstein" at the Liechtenstein Garden Palace in Vienna. The bronze sculptures on display as part of the "March at the Palace" event are among the most valuable parts of the princely collection.

Daniel Herman, Honorary Consul of the Principality of Liechtenstein in the Czech Republic, gave a lecture on 14 March 2023 to the students of the Faculty of Transportation Sciences of the CTU in Prague. The lecture entitled "Liechtenstein, a Principality in the Heart of the Alps and the Czech Lands", which took place in cooperation with the Czech-Liechtenstein Society, was very popular.

The winter issue of the newsletter of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society has just been published, available here. It also includes the Annual Selection of 2022. We hope you will enjoy reading it and will be inspired by its content. 

On 22 November, the last of this year's series of lectures entitled "Liechtenstein: one either does not know it or admires it" took place in the the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague Music and Dance Faculty (HAMU) in the Gallery Hall of the Liechtenstein Palace, on Malostranské náměstí in Prague.

More information can be found in the Past Events section.

The Autumn Issue of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society Newsletter is available here. We believe that it will bring you interesting and inspiring readings.

As is already customary, members of the CLS regularly participate in the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival, which this year took place from 24 September to 8 October.

This year's festival focused on the music of the Moravian Croats, who came to the territory of South Moravia at the invitation of the Liechtenstein family as early as the 16th century.

More information can be found in the Past Events section.   

(c) Pavel Kristian Jr.

On Friday 16 September 2022 as part of the 65th year of the Bezruč Opava Festival, a lecture Liechtenstein in Opava - "Liechtenstein - one either does not know it or admires it" took place. In the historic building of the Silesian Museum in the Müller House, Daniel Herman, former Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic, now Honorary Consul of the Principality of Liechtenstein in the Czech Republic, had been accompanied by historian Ondřej Haničák, Head of the Department of Social Sciences of the Silesian Museum in Opava.

More information can be found in the section Past events. 

(c) Marcela Feretova, Silesian Museum

On Thursday, 8 September, representatives of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society attended a reception held every year at this time for representatives of the Austrian political, social and economic scene by the Embassy of the Principality of Liechtenstein in Vienna, which is also active in the Czech Republic. 

More information can be found in the section Past events. 

From 22 to 31 July 2022, the seventh edition of the multi-genre festival Meeting Brno took place, offering a meeting place for representatives of different opinions, cultures and religions. On 26 July, a day focused on Liechtenstein took place as a part of the festival in the Moravian Gallery under the theme LIECHTENSTEIN IS MEETING BRNO. More information can be found in the section Past events.

This year the Smetana´s Litomyšl festival introduced as a part of the program the Liechtenstein Day on Wednesday 22 June. More information can be found in the section Past events.

Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein, the youngest son of the reigning Prince Hans Adam II, visited the South Moravian municipality of Hrušky on Thursday, April 28th. The event was also attended by representatives of the CLS, led by the Chairman Petr Svoboda and Honorary Consul Daniel Herman.

On Saturday, March 26 members of the CLS visited a guided exhibition “Treuer Fürst - Joseph Wenzel und seine Kunst” at the Liechtenstein Garden Palace.

General Assembly of the CLS took place on 25 March in the rooms of the Honorary Consulate of the Principality of Liechtenstein in Brno.

On Friday, March 11, members of the Board of the CLS met with H.S.H. Maria-Pia Kothbauer, Ambassador of Liechtenstein to Austria and the Czech Republic. Mrs. Ambassador and Honorary Chairwoman of the Board took a keen interest in the activities of the Association and plans for the next years. 

On the photo: from the left: Chairman Petr Svoboda, H.S.H. Maria-Pia Kothbauer, Vice-Chairman Zuzana Holendová, Board member Richard Svoboda, Honorary Chairman Jiří Balaštík, Honorary Consul and Board member Daniel Herman, Board member Jana Tepperová. 

This February marks the 250th anniversary of the death of Maria Theresa of Savoy, Princess of Liechtenstein (1694 - 1772), an important patron and reformer. In the Czech Republic, she is best known as the owner of the estate in Kostelec nad Černými lesy, where she is still well remembered by the inhabitants. On Sunday 20 February, the exact anniversary of her death, a service for Maria Theresa of Savoy was held in the Church of St. Guardian Angels in Kostelec nad Černými lesy, celebrated by Cardinal Dominik Duka, which was also attended by the Chairman of the CLS, Mr. Petr Svoboda. More about Maria Theresa of Savoy coming soon in the spring issue of the CLS Newsletter. (Meytens, Martin van (1695-1770), Portrait of Maria Theresa of Savoy. (c) LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections. Vaduz-Vienna)

On Thursday, February 17, the Board of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society met. The main point of the meeting was the preparation and approval of the agenda and materials for the General Assembly, which will be held on Friday 25 March in Brno at the premises of the Honorary Consulate of the Principality of Liechtenstein. 

Make the start of the new year more enjoyable with the winter issue of our newsletter, available here. 

On Thursday, November 11, the ČLS Board met after a long covid break. The program included an evaluation of the Association's activities to date in 2021 and planning further activities. The Board decided to address the members directly with a request for suggestions for the further activities and functioning of the Association. The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for the week before Christmas.

On Tuesday, 2 November, the reigning Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein received the Historical Commemorative Medal of Charles University at Vaduz Castle from the Rector of Charles University, Prof. Tomáš Zima. The university awarded the Prince for the merits of his house in the flourishing of Moravia, Silesia and Bohemia and for his personal contribution in supporting science, education, environmental protection, direct democracy as well as the social and health projects in the present world.⁠ ⁠ Photo & Copyright: Eddy Risch⁠

An informal meeting of CLS members took place on Saturday, October 16, as part of the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival, which is very popular among CLS members. The meeting in the Chateau wine bar took place before the final concert. You can read more about the meeting here.

Extraordinary cultural experience: Members of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society took part in a tour of the Liechtenstein Garden Palace in Vienna on Friday, October 15. The highlight of the visit was a tour of the time-limited exhibition of works of art called Begegnung - Meeting from the Prince's Collections, organized on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the princely bank LGT.

The Autumn Issue of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society Newsletter is available here. We believe that it will bring you interesting and inspiring readings.

On Wednesday, September 22, a friendly meeting of members of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society with the new Honorary Consul of the Principality of Liechtenstein, based in Brno, Mr. Daniel Herman, took place in Grand Cru. After a long time, the members had the opportunity to meet and jointly welcome the establishment of the Honorary consulate at the association level.

Another important day for Czech-Liechtenstein relations: the Honorary Consulate of the Principality of Liechtenstein was inaugurated in Brno. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Mrs Dominique Hasler, the Liechtenstein Ambassador to the Czech Republic, JJ Marie-Pia Kothbauer Liechtenstein, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Martin Smolek, the South Moravian Governor Jan Grolich, the Honorary President and Chairman of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society, a number of other prominent personalities - and of course the Honorary Consul Daniel Herman. More details will soon be available in the autumn issue of our newsletter.⁠
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The building of the Honorary Consulate of the Principality of Liechtenstein in Brno is located in Palác Jalta on Dominikanske square. 

It is with deep regret and profound sadness that we received the information that Princess Marie passed away. The wife of Prince Hans Adam II, who is formally the ruler of Liechtenstein, passed away at Grabs hospital in Switzerland on Saturday, August 21, 2021.

More to read

The devastating tornado wiped out lives and livelihoods in the regions of Břeclav and Hodonín and caused so much pain and sorrow. The devastating consequences of the natural disaster caused a shock to the Liechtenstein Family. Prince Constantin, the youngest son of  HSH Hans Adam II, already on Friday 25 June 2021, made a statement on behalf of the Princely Family, offering through the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation an instant support for sustainable projects with a special focus on the needs of children. On behalf of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society we would like to express our full support to this compassionate initiative of the Princely Family and are prepared to join in.

The Summer issue of the ČLS Newsletter is available on our websites (here). 

We hope it will offer you some interesting and inspiring reading.

With best wishes for a beautiful summer!

Mgr. Daniel Herman, a member of the Board of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society and a former Minister of Culture, was appointed Honorary Consul of the Principality of Liechtenstein with its seat in Brno. Historically, the first Liechtenstein Honorary Consulate in the Czech Republic will focus on strengthening mutual Czech-Liechtenstein ties in the field of culture, education, and economics. The Czech-Liechtenstein Society very much welcomes the establishment of the Honorary Consulate and congratulations to the new Honorary Consul on behalf of all members!

On Thursday, April 22, a General Assembly of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society, r. a took place in the Hotel Rott. Despite the more difficult conditions, members appreciated the opportunity to meet in person and spend an afternoon together. The General Assembly elected a new Board for another three-year term. You can find more detailed information about the General Assembly here. 

On Tuesday, September 8th, a Members´ meeting of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society and a Board meeting took place in the Hotel Hoffmeister. We are very pleased to welcome two new Board members, Zuzana Holendová, manager at the Liechtenstein princely LGT bank in Vienna, and Petr Svoboda, vice-president of the Association of Castle Owners in the Czech Republic. ⁠

The honorary chairman of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society and former Minister of Culture Daniel Herman received on Monday, September 7th, the Federal Republic of Germany’s Great Cross of Merit with a Star for his long-term efforts in Czech-German understanding and reconciliation. He received the award at the German embassy in Prague from German Ambassador Christoph Israng. The chairman of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society, Jiří Balaštík, was also present at the ceremony. ⁠

On 14 November 2019 Mendel University awarded an outstanding award to Alois Liechtenstein for the contribution of his family to science, education and landscape in Moravia. The university has awarded the golden medal on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. You can also read: press release about the event, speech of HSH Alois of Liechtenstein at the ceremony in Brno, speech of Danuše Nerudová, the rector of Mendel University. 

On 28 - 29 September 2019 the Czech-Liechtenstein Society met once again in South Moravia, this time in Lednice. Members of CLS visited splendid and renovated castle of Lednice with the adjacent greenhouse guided by Ms. Ivana Holásková, the Lednice castle manager and a member of our Association. In the evening, members of the Association listened to beautiful music at the opening concert of the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival. 

Members of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society Committee traveled together to Vaduz and Malbun. They visited the Liechtenstein Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other interesting places. At the end of the journey they were received by Liechtenstein's ruling prince Alois.

You can read a more detailed report by the Chairman HERE. 

Entrepreneurs Radka Prokopová and František Fabičovic, members of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society, represented the Czech Republic at the world final of EY World Entrepreneur of the Year competition. Their company Alca plast seated in Břeclav delivers sanitary systems to the whole world. They won the title Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 of the Czech Republic thank to honest approach to the development of their business and lifelong efforts to promote good reputation of Czech products in the world.  

On Saturday 15th June 2019, the members of the Society attended a special concert of the Lednice/Valtice Music Festival, organized in Vienna to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Principality of Liechtenstein. 

On the days of 12 and 13 May 2019, we visited the Austrian capital and its surroundings. First day we visited the Castle Liechtenstein. The second day we went for a tour of the Liechtenstein City Palace and Albertina Gallery. More information read HERE. 

A son of the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein Hans Adam II, Prince Constantin, was an exclusive guest of the conference Family Wealth, organized on 7 February 2019 by the E15 weekly. He spoke especially about keeping traditions and managing well the property which the family have gathered during more than nine hundred years.

Read more here.  

The Czech-Liechtenstein Society, in cooperation with the non-profit organization Post Bellum, organized a series of lectures about today's Liechtenstein and its history for general public. This event, celebrating the 300th anniversary of Liechtenstein, took place on 4 April 2019 in the Municipal Library in Prague. Entry was free. 

Members of the Czech-Liechtenstein Society met on 4 April 2019 in the Nuance Restaurant in Prague.