Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein

Franz Joseph II (Franz Josef Maria Alois Alfred Karl Johannes Heinrich Michael Georg Ignaz Benediktus Gerhardus Majella; 16 August 1906 – 13 November 1989) was the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein from 25 July 1938 until his death in November 1989.

Franz Joseph was the son of Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria. He succeeded his childless grand-uncle, Prince Franz I, after his father renounced his right of succession in his favour in 1923. He 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.

Early life

Franz Joseph was born on 16 August 1906 in Schloss Frauenthal, Deutschlandsberg, Austria-Hungary as the first child of Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria. He had 7 siblings throughout his lifetime. His god-parent was his great-uncle Franz Joseph I of Austria.

He spent most of his youth throughout various family-owned estates in Austria-Hungary (later Czechoslovakia), notably the Groß Ullersdorf castle in Moravia. He attended the Schottengymnasium in Vienna, where he graduated from in 1925 with a passion for mathematics, natural history and the Greek language. He then went on to study forestry at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, which he received a diploma on forestry engineering in 1930. On 17 April 1930 Franz Joseph was appointed to be the deputy of Franz I. In this role, he frequently travelled to the principality as a representative of him. He also visited several European countries during this time and the United States.

Reign

Early reign

On 31 March 1938, Franz I made Franz Joseph his regent following the Anschluss of Austria. Franz I then moved to Feldsberg (Valtice), Czechoslovakia, and on 25 July, he died while at one of his family's castles. Franz Joseph II formally succeeded him as the Prince of Liechtenstein.

Although officially 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 Liechtenstein if Nazi Germany were to invade, primarily because his wife, Elisabeth von Gutmann was of Jewish relation. Upon becoming Prince of Liechtenstein in 1938, Franz Joseph settled permanently in the principality, making him the first ruling prince to live there full-time. while personally tying the country as closely as possible to Switzerland during the war in hopes of retaining Liechtenstein's neutrality. He visited the Swiss Federal Council in April 1938 and again in 1943, along with to Victor Emmanuel III of Italy in November 1941.

Franz Joseph oversaw the formation of a coalition government between the Progressive Citizens' Party and the Patriotic Union that would prevent government deadlock and help retain Liechtenstein's neutrality.

In March 1939 he along with Josef Hoop paid an official visit to Berlin where they met Adolf Hitler and Joachim von Ribbentrop and discussed safeguarding Liechtenstein's independence and neutrality while maintaining good relations. Franz Joseph later reminisced on the visit and stated that Hitler showed little interest in them and that it only took place in order to "flatter Hitler's ego". Despite this, the prince periodically sent congratulatory letters to Hitler throughout the war, such as after the thwarting of the 20 July plot, to which Hitler replied briefly. In 1945 all the family's estates in Czechoslovakia and Poland were expropriated without compensation by the Third Czechoslovak Republic and the Provisional Government of Poland.

Just before the end of the war, Franz Joseph granted political asylum to First Russian National Army pro-Axis pro-emperor Vladimir White emigres led by General Boris Smyslovsky, who were being cared for by the Liechtenstein Red Cross. On 16 August 1945, the Soviet Union sent a delegation to Liechtenstein in an attempt to repatriate the Russians, which was refused despite increasing Soviet pressure to participate in the repatriation program. Eventually the government of Argentina offered the Russians asylum, and about a hundred people moved there.

Franz Joseph played a role in maintaining Liechtenstein's diplomatic relations. He and Georgina von Wilczek hosted Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and Anne, Princess Royal in the Vaduz Castle on 29 December 1965 and again for Prince Philip and Elizabeth II in April 1980. thumb Franz Joseph and Countess Georgina von Wilczek, 1988During his reign, women received voting rights for the first time, following a referendum on the topic (among men only) in 1984. That same year, he appointed Maria Foser as the first woman Deputy Government Councillor for Social Affairs. He exercised his veto power just once, in 1985, against a new hunting law that would have granted increased rights to hunters. He explained this by saying “It was a silly law. It would have turned every garden into a shooting ground". He died on 13 November 1989, 26 days after his wife, after suffering from poor health. He was succeeded by his son, who became Hans-Adam II.

Marriage and children

On 7 March 1943, at St. Florin's in Vaduz, Franz Joseph II married Countess Georgina of Wilczek (24 October 1921 – 18 October 1989). It was the first time that the wedding of a ruling Prince had taken place in Liechtenstein. They had five children, twelve grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren: Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein (14 February 1945, Zürich) he married Countess Marie Aglaë of Wchinitz and Tettau on 30 July 1967. They have four children and fifteen grandchildren. Prince Philipp of Liechtenstein (19 August 1946, Zürich) he married Isabelle de l'Arbre de Malander on 11 September 1971. They have three sons and four grandchildren. Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein (24 October 1947, Zürich) he married Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg on 20 March 1982. They have four children. Princess Norberta of Liechtenstein (31 October 1950, Zürich) she married Don Vicente Sartorius y Cabeza de Vaca, 3rd Marqués de Mariño on 11 June 1988. They had one daughter. Prince Franz Josef Wenceslaus of Liechtenstein (Zürich, 19 November 1962 – Vaduz, 28 February 1991). Died unmarried and without issue at the age of 28.

Honours Austria Austrian Imperial and Royal family: Knight with Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece Grand Cross of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, Grand Star Greek Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Redeemer Iranian Imperial Family: Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the 2,500-year Celebration of the Persian Empire Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Pope Pius IX