Cultural policy objectives
Liechtenstein’s cultural policy is aimed at the general population, artists, cultural institutions and projects. This is about more than just promoting culture. Cultural policy represents a public discussion, framework conditions and the interests of artists.
Major cultural policy responsibilities are vested in the state. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the country has strived to become an internationally renowned centre of art and culture. For the purpose of sustainably supporting cultural creativity and cultural values while raising public awareness, Liechtenstein has adapted its funding instruments.
For example, the Culture Promotion Act (CuPA), which has been in force since 2008, regulates
Culture Promotion Act (CuPA) of 20 September 2007: www.gesetze.li/konso/2007290000 the promotion of cultural creativity by individuals and private organisations in literature, music, performing and visual arts, film and video, folk culture and regional studies. The objective of the law is to promote diversity, independence, freedom, innovation and quality in the development of vibrant art and culture. It summarises what was previously regulated in several laws.
The cultural mission statement (LIECHTENSTEIN cultural mission) of 2011 outlines the main objectives of Liechtenstein’s cultural policy up to 2021. Cultural policy guidelines reflect the small country’s intention to be open, visible and independent. In terms of both cultural positioning and economic development, Liechtenstein has set a number of sustainable priorities: to strengthen Liechtenstein culture at home and abroad, to promote cultural awareness, to support cultural practitioners and promote the creative industries, to foster neighbourly relations as well as international cooperation.
With the Cultural Assets Protection Act (CAPA) of 2016, supplemented by the Cultural Assets Protection Ordinance in April 2021, the Principality of Liechtenstein expanded the scope of its active cultural policy. Cultural heritage is not only of great importance in affirming the identity of society. The modern law on the protection of cultural assets also complies with the various international conventions that Liechtenstein has adhered to for years. This law enshrines the protection of cultural assets in national law for the first time in the history of the Principality of Liechtenstein.
By agreeing to the Davos Declaration 2018 (Davos Declaration 2018) Liechtenstein also commits to making a high level of building culture a political and strategic priority. That Declaration is a reminder that “building” is culture and creates space for culture. In the European Year of Cultural Heritage, the European Commission called for raising awareness of the social and economic importance of cultural heritage.
Cultural policy in Liechtenstein always focuses on preserving the special characteristics of the small state and the participation of as many people as possible. Accordingly, the state bears responsibility for public institutions: for the Music School and School of Fine Arts, for the country’s library as the national library, for the art museum as the national gallery and the country’s museum as the national museum, for the University of Liechtenstein as well as the Adult Education Foundation. One element of the cultural-political obligation is to document the country’s sovereignty.
Cultural policy as social policy also deals with social challenges such as migration or digitalisation. Thus, there is consensus that one objective of cultural policy – especially at the municipal level – must be to integrate the culture of migrants and to take into account the cultural needs of people with a migrant background.
The Liechtenstein government’s Digital Agenda of 2019 (see 2.1) explicitly aims to broaden cultural funding to include digital content and to provide greater support for digital artistic creation. In addition, the creative industries are to be given a higher priority with regard to the further diversification of the business location. Cultural content from libraries, museums and archives is to be digitised in order to create the widest possible online access to culture.
At the same time, Liechtenstein participates in the “Digital Europe” and “Creative Europe” programmes of the European Union from 2021 to 2027. The principles for the participation of the EEA/EFTA states (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) in EU programmes are set out in Part VI, Art. 78 et seqq. EEA Agreement (cooperation outside the four freedoms). In 2015 and 2020, Liechtenstein looked back on 20 and 25 years of membership in the European Economic Area (EEA), respectively. The government presented an overall assessment in each case and acknowledged the EEA as a “model of success” for Liechtenstein (BuA No. 18/2015, BuA No. 34/2020).
Main characteristics
With 39,055 inhabitants (2020), Liechtenstein is the fourth smallest state in Europe. One third of the people come from other countries, mostly Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Italy. Cultural policy in Liechtenstein refers to both national identity and cultural diversity as an expression of being open to the world. Geographically, the country is situated between the Austrian province of Vorarlberg and the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen and Graubünden. The state guarantees a liberal environment, promotes the cultural climate as well as the private promotion of art and culture.
In Liechtenstein, culture as a state responsibility comprises three levels:
- Culture refers to all the intellectual and artistic achievements of the community in terms of civilisation.
- Culture includes science, research, education, art, history, religion, natural landscape, form of government, politics – in short, everything that enables people to understand themselves and their living space.
- Culture reflects the modern lifestyles of society.
Culture is also seen as a means of integration and European dialogue. When it comes to cultural creativity, a small state is dependent on its exchanges with the rest of the world. As such, cultural foreign policy is highly valued both regionally and internationally. This is explicitly spelled out in the 2012 report “Priorities of Liechtenstein Foreign Policy”.
An essential element of Liechtenstein’s cultural policy is the principle of subsidiarity, which stimulates and promotes private initiative. The state intervenes where more financial and human resources are needed to make culture possible, especially in order to realise exhibitions or buildings. A large number of stakeholders and different forms of cooperation underpin the national model. There is an increasingly important role for the private sector in Liechtenstein’s cultural landscape. Traditionally, this applies to cultural clubs, associations and institutions.
The eleven municipalities of the country contribute to the promotion of culture in line with the principle of subsidiarity. Funding for culture by the state and the municipalities is clearly separated. The municipalities of Liechtenstein organise their cultural life independently – under the Municipalities Act of 20 March 1996 (Law Gazette LGBl. 1996 No. 76), which includes the promotion of cultural life in the municipality’s own sphere of activity (Art. 12). The municipalities mainly support cultural associations and further develop the protection of sites of local character and monuments (see 1.2.4).
Cultural policy decisions in Liechtenstein are marked by transparency, competition and efficiency. According to Art. 78 para. 4 of the Constitution, the government has overall supervision of public enterprises. The 2010 Corporate Governance Act (law concerning the control and supervision of public companies (ÖUSG)) puts Liechtenstein in the top league. Under the control of Parliament, the government manages and supervises state-owned enterprises in a responsible and qualified manner.
Background
The connection between the Princely House of Liechtenstein and the country plays a special role. In 2012, the celebrations marking “300 years of the Upper Country” in Liechtenstein commemorated the beginnings of the Principality and the treaty on the sale of the County of Vaduz to Prince Johann Adam Andreas of Liechtenstein in 1712. The country of Liechtenstein then celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2019. In 1719, the Principality of Liechtenstein was founded and elevated to the status of Imperial Principality. Prince Johann Adam Andreas is not only considered the founder of the state; he also added a centrepiece to the Princely Collections: the world-renowned works of the Decius Mus cycle by Peter Paul Rubens.
The Princely Collections are among the most important private art collections in the world, placing special emphasis on the Baroque era, with paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, Anthonis van Dyck and Rembrandt, as well as sculptures by Giambologna, Adriaen de Vries and Massimiliano Soldani Benzi. For a long time, anyone who spoke of culture in the small state of Liechtenstein thought of these treasures of European art spanning five centuries.
Christian customs determined what the people in the Catholic country, which was still a poor agricultural country at the turn of the 20th century, believed to be culture in their everyday lives. In other words, culture was based on religion.
Great talents sought and found success abroad. The educator, historian and politician Peter Kaiser (1793–1864) was elected to the German National Assembly in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt in 1848 as a deputy of Liechtenstein. Just before, in 1847, he had written the book “History of the Principality of Liechtenstein”, which was of seminal importance for Liechtenstein. He is considered to be the founder of Liechtenstein historiography and the “discoverer” of a Liechtenstein nation-state identity rooted in its people.
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (1839–1901), a composer, organist and music teacher born in Vaduz, is even often thought of as a German composer. At the age of twelve, he went to Munich and became one of the successful composers of his time. He achieved international acclaim as a composition teacher at the Munich Music School and the Academy of the Art of Music.
1900–1945:
The Liechtenstein National Museum (see 1.3.1 and 1.3.3) is the oldest cultural institution in the country. It was established around 1900 by Prince Johann II and supervised by the Historical Society for the Principality of Liechtenstein (see 1.2.5). The aim was to collect cultural objects of historical significance to the country. Important reforms in Liechtenstein took place during the reign of Johann II, including in the school system and municipal administration. He signed the first constitution in 1862 and the constitution based on democratic parliamentary principles in 1921. Johann II supported the arts and sciences and initiated the modernisation of the agricultural state.
The 1862 constitution made it possible for people in Liechtenstein’s municipalities to form associations. The first theatre association was founded in 1862. By 1921, there were ten brass music societies, and almost all the villages in the country had choral societies. The Historical Society was the first institution (1901) to deal with Liechtenstein’s past and present in an intellectual and scientific manner. It had a decisive influence on cultural development in the 20th century, being a driving force for the protection of cultural assets and the preservation of historical monuments.
A portrait of Prince Johann II can be seen on the first Liechtenstein stamps, issued on 1 February 1912. It was designed by the Art Nouveau artist Koloman Moser, a co-founder of the Vienna Secession in 1897. The high artistic quality of Liechtenstein stamps continues to attract the interest of philatelists worldwide. In 2021, Liechtenstein’s postal service continued to focus on innovation and received the “Runner-Up Prize” of the Innovation Award 2021 from PostEurop for the Blockchain-based Stamp 4.0. This crypto stamp is forgery-proof and interactive (see 2.4).
The painter, graphic artist, textile designer, book designer and typographer Ferdinand Nigg (1865–1949) is considered Liechtenstein’s most important contributor to modernism. In 1912, he became the first professor of paramentics at the School of Applied Arts (“Kunstgewerbeschule”) in Cologne, while producing an enormous body of artistic work. The “master of the cross-stitch” returned to Vaduz in 1931.
Following the annexation of Austria by the German Reich, Prince Franz Josef II left Vienna in 1938 and chose Vaduz as his residence. During the Second World War in 1944/45, the collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein, which were subject to an export ban, were also brought to Vaduz Castle under the most difficult conditions and thus rescued from looting and destruction.
1945–1960:
A real cultural landscape only began to develop when the economy in Liechteinstein caught up with modernisation at a rapid pace after the Second World War. While the roots of the Princely Collections are to be found in the Baroque ideal of art-loving princely patronage, representatives of the private sector in Liechtenstein also promoted art and culture alongside the Catholic Church.
In 1948, the parish priest of Schaan, Canon Johannes Tschuor (1896–1990), founded a school for “adult education”. It remained a key pillar of culture in Liechtenstein for two decades and was a forerunner of the Liechtenstein Adult Education Foundation, which was founded in 1999 (see 1.2.2 and 1.3.3).
The painter, graphic artist and philosopher Eugen Zotow (1881–1953) created portraits and landscapes of Liechtenstein and Switzerland as well as still lifes for the few wealthy Liechtenstein citizens, for immigrants from Germany and for Prince Franz Josef II. He designed several stamp series for the government. The Ukrainian-born artist lived in exile in Vaduz from 1938 to 1953. In 1951, he produced “etchings from the eleven municipalities” as well as drawings and graphics of Vaduz Castle.
Liechtenstein scholars and committed students founded the non-profit association Liechtenstein Academic Society (LAG) in 1951. By studying cultural, governmental, social, philosophical and religious issues, LAG aims to influence and enrich cultural life in Liechtenstein. LAG has published two high-level scientific series under its own publishing house (VLAG) since 1972, in addition to individual publications. A total of 60 volumes were published in the series “Liechtenstein – Politische Schriften” (LPS) up to 2019, predominantly with essays on political science, the humanities and law. The series “Kleine Schriften” contained a total of 55 booklets by 2019.
1960–1980:
State cultural policy began in the 1960s and 1970s – late and gradually in response to private initiatives. The Liechtenstein National Library and the National Archives were founded in 1961 (see 1.3.1, 1.3.3 and 3.2). In 1963, a private group initiated the establishment of the Liechtenstein Music School, and since 1971, the International Master Classes have evolved into a high-profile international seminar and event platform in Liechtenstein (see 1.3.3). The Liechtenstein State Art Collection was founded in 1968, which laid the foundation for the Liechtenstein Art Museum (see 1.3.1 and 1.3.3). In 1970, the “Theater am Kirchplatz” (TAK) (see 1.3.1) opened its doors, which today serves the function of a state theatre. In 1978, the PEN Club Liechtenstein was founded as an autonomous PEN centre of PEN International, one of the best-known international authors’ associations.
Liechtenstein joined the European Cultural Convention (1954) in 1979. The new cultural policies of the 1980s and 1990s reflected the priorities set by the Council of Europe on issues of cultural identity, heritage, cultural diversity and participation in cultural life.
1980–2000:
In 1986, the Historical Society and the Academic Society founded the Liechtenstein Institute in Bendern. The Institute explores through scientific research topics relevant to Liechtenstein, where the promotion of research is considered a state responsibility. Even though the state delegates this responsibility to a private initiative, the Liechtenstein Institute, the Institute receives state funding and is also commissioned by the state. The Liechtenstein Institute conducts research in law, politics, economics, social sciences and history. Its findings are intended to contribute to the understanding of the Liechtenstein State at home and abroad, to promote a cosmopolitan and realistic Liechtenstein self-image, as well as to facilitate the shaping of opinions on important issues.
In the 1990s, the arts and culture sector continued to gain momentum. The Symphony Orchestra is born, the Musical Company, the International Guitar Days, the Liechtenstein School of Fine Arts, and a growing number of professional artists contribute to music, literature, theatre, dance and visual arts. Liechtenstein presents books at the book fairs in Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig and has participated in the European Heritage Days since 1993.
In 1995, Liechtenstein joined the European Economic Area (EEA). This has shaped Liechtenstein’s political system and bolstered its sovereignty. The EEA Agreement allows the EEA/EFTA states (Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway) to participate in framework programmes, special programmes, projects or other actions of the European Union (EU).
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Liechtenstein has increasingly showcased its diversity internationally. It participates in Expo 2000 in Hanover and the Literature Express Europe 2000 project, as well as in the Long Night of Museums organised by the Austrian broadcaster ORF in Austria, South Tyrol and Liechtenstein (see 6.1). Each year, the Liechtenstein Cultural Foundation awards two scholarships to professional young artists. They then spend a year in another country to further their education at music and art schools, universities or in studios. Since September 2006, Liechtenstein has also had a residential studio in Berlin for artists from Liechtenstein, which serves as a centre for art, culture and encounters for all artistic disciplines.
The Liechtenstein Art Museum, based on the Liechtenstein State Art Collection of 1969, has been a central institution in the country since 2000 (see 1.3.1 and 1.3.3). The museum deliberately seeks out themes that deal with the contemporary attitude to life in Europe. Although the National Gallery is a place of international art, as a regional museum it also relates to the cultural essence of the Rhine Valley region.
2000–2021:
In 2006, the Liechtenstein Art Museum embarked on a new, innovative path of museum cooperation across national borders and contributes to a cooperation that is unique to date in the German-speaking cultural sector. The MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt am Main, the Kunstmuseum St. Gallen and the Liechtenstein Art Museum have jointly purchased the Rolf Ricke Collection – 152 works of US classics – for EUR 4.5 million. Liechtenstein’s Parliament approved CHF 1.15 million (EUR 731,600) to co-acquire the collection.
The connection between private and state is also playing an increasingly important role in Liechtenstein’s culture. Private donors donated the art museum to the country in 2000. In May 2015, the Liechtenstein Art Museum deepened its cooperation with the Hilti Art Foundation, which presents its internationally important art collection in its own new building under the roof of the Art Museum.
It was in 2013 that Liechtenstein discovered its potential for the cultural and creative industries and has been developing networks ever since. Then, in September 2014, the Institute of Architecture and Planning at the University of Liechtenstein presented the first Creative Industries Report for Liechtenstein. The report is considered an important step in highlighting the country’s great creative potential. In the Digital Agenda of 2019, the Liechtenstein government commits to expanding cultural diversity to include the dimension of digitalisation.
The exchange about and of art and culture across borders as well as the open cultural policy are also part of Liechtenstein’s foreign policy. For Liechtenstein, culture is a means of integration and dialogue. In 2015, Liechtenstein celebrated its 25th anniversary of joining the UN. Today, Liechtenstein is one of the leading voices when it comes to the rule of law and international criminal justice (see 2.1).
In 2019, Liechtenstein celebrated “300 years of the Principality”. A series of events focusing on history, foreign policy, cultural activities, education and the economy was organised at Liechtenstein’s museums and embassies.
Protecting its cultural heritage is an important issue for Liechtenstein. The first “Blue Shield” of the organisation Blue Shield International, which is affiliated with UNESCO, was affixed to the government building in Vaduz (1903–1905) in September 2021 to serve as a signal.
Since August 2021, the Office of Cultural Affairs has been running a residential studio for creators of culture and art from other countries. The Liechtenstein artists’ studio is located in the listed “Turmhaus” in Balzers.
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