7. Financing and support
Liechtenstein
Last update: May, 2023
The state of Liechtenstein and the municipalities are the main sponsors and promoters of culture. But Liechtenstein does not have cultural statistics, unlike the education sector, for example. There are no clear calculation methods and reliable figures on per-capita spending in the cultural sector, on the percentage share of public spending on culture measured by the gross domestic product, etc. The same is true of the municipalities’ expenditure on culture. A list from 1998 puts the state’s expenditure at CHF 15.7 million and that of the eleven municipalities at CHF 5.4 million.
The financial laws, which are published annually, are the source of the data presented here. Expenditure on cultural institutions (Music School, School of Fine Arts, Adult Education, National Library, National Museum, Theater am Kirchplatz, Art Museum, Cultural Assets, Youth and Music, Cultural Projects, Cultural Foundation) was CHF 21.3 million in 2018 and increased to CHF 23.9 million in 2022.
The share of public cultural expenditure in the total budget (cultural institutions, cultural buildings, historical projects, church, radio, television) was around CHF 23 million in 2000, rising to around CHF 32 million by 2018 and to around CHF 34.7 million in 2022.
Last update: May, 2023
Table 6: Public spending on culture by level of government, 2019
Level of government |
Total spending in CHF million |
Total spending in EUR million* |
Share in % of total |
|
State (central, federal) |
28.6 |
29.3 |
|
|
Regional (province, states, etc.) |
|
|
|
|
Local (municipal, including districts) |
nda # |
nda # |
nda # |
|
TOTAL |
28.6 |
29.3 |
100% |
|
Source: Accountability Report of the Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein, National Accounts (2019)
The state accounts for the largest share of public cultural expenditure. In 2019, this corresponded to around 3.7 per cent of Liechtenstein’s total spending.
Last update: May, 2023
Table 7: Public cultural expenditure (all levels of government) by sector, 2019, in CHF 1,000
Field/domain/subdomain |
Total |
of which: Direct expenditure** |
of which: Transfers** |
|
in CHF |
|
to other |
to NGOs, companies, individuals |
|
I. Cultural heritage |
|
|
|
|
Historic architectural monuments |
430 000 |
430 000 |
|
|
Museums |
6 426 875 |
6 403 000 |
23 875 |
|
Archives |
630 781 |
|
|
|
Libraries |
1 776 000 |
1 776 000 |
|
|
Intangible cultural heritage/folk culture |
305 800 |
100 000 |
205 800 |
|
II. Visual arts |
|
|
|
|
Painting/sculpture |
176 007 |
|
176 007 |
|
Photography |
15 000 |
|
15 000 |
|
Architecture*** |
|
|
|
|
Design/applied arts |
|
|
|
|
III. Performing arts |
|
|
|
|
Music |
7 359 074 |
6 637 000 |
722 074 |
|
Theatre, music theatre, dance |
2 406 600 |
2 100 000 |
306 600 |
|
Multidisciplinary |
|
|
|
|
IV. Books and journalism |
|
|
|
|
Books |
246 561 |
|
246 561 |
|
Journalism |
1 840 000 |
1,840,000 |
|
|
V. Audiovisual and multimedia |
|
|
|
|
Cinema |
448 700 |
|
448 700 |
|
Television |
|
|
|
|
Sound |
47 534 |
|
47 534 |
|
Radio |
2 314 000 |
2 314 000 |
|
|
Multimedia |
|
|
|
|
VI. Interdisciplinary |
|
|
|
|
Socioculture |
1 290 000 |
1 290 000 |
|
|
Cultural relations abroad |
125 000 |
125 000 |
|
|
Administration**** |
|
|
|
|
Cultural education**** |
662 000 |
590 000 |
72 000 |
|
VII. Other, not covered by Domains I–VI |
112 500 |
|
112 500 |
|
Total |
26 612 432 |
|
|
|
Source(s): Finance Act for the Year 2019, LGBl. 2018 No. 265, Accountability Report of the Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein 2019, Liechtenstein Cultural Foundation, Annual Report 2019
Last update: May, 2023
In Liechtenstein, support for artistic production and reception is provided on the one hand by promoting cultural, educational and media institutions as part of the cultural, social and economic ecosystem. On the other hand, the state, municipalities and organisations create art-friendly framework conditions, including various support and funding programmes for artists such as:
- Artists’ studios in Berlin and Liechtenstein
- Purchase of works of art (e.g. by the Liechtenstein Cultural Foundation)
- Support for festivals, events, conferences etc.
- Scholarships or contributions for artistic education and training
- Competitions, promotional awards (e.g. Most Beautiful Books from Liechtenstein, Josef Gabriel von Rheinberger Award of the Municipality of Vaduz)
The country’s cultural promotion focuses on creating a framework for the development of art and culture, promoting cultural institutions of national interest, preserving and protecting cultural heritage, culture as a means of foreign policy and historical awareness (see 1.1 and 1.2.2).
The Liechtenstein Cultural Foundation promotes artistic creation and cultural exchange in Liechtenstein on behalf of the state. It acts autonomously in numerous cultural fields, awards work grants and production subsidies to cultural creators and for cultural education. The Cultural Foundation supports cultural creators on their path of development as well as regional and international collaboration. It promotes the safeguarding and preservation of cultural heritage and, through cultural associations, broad cultural engagement.
Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, Liechtenstein has supported cultural creators with a total of CHF 1.25 million from December 2020 to 2022 via the Cultural Foundation. Funding was also provided for the development of online formats and channels (e.g. live streams of the Liechtenstein Symphony Orchestra, Literature Channel of the Literature House). From 20 December 2020 to 30 June 2021, cultural stakeholders were also eligible for benefits under the UEKplus policy, i.e. support for businesses directly affected by regulatory closures. In addition to the financial aid provided by the state, the municipalities also provided assistance in individual cases. The media received a total contribution of CHF 900,000 to support their role in information.
Architecture and architectural art are important elements of culture. For example, the artistic design of the government building or the parliament building in Vaduz, the municipal and town halls, the churches and school buildings or the museums, etc. falls under a cultural policy mandate. In 1967, the government regulated the integration of architectural art in public buildings and facilities, and in 1990 it was enshrined in the Culture Promotion Act (see 4.2.7). According to this, about one per cent of the total construction costs for public buildings is to be used as a contribution to art. The same applies to subsidised municipal buildings. Depending on the building and the type of artistic intervention envisaged, competitions, direct contracts or study commissions are awarded to several artists.
Last update: May, 2023
The individual promotion of specific artists is primarily the responsibility of the Principality of Liechtenstein.
Since October 2006, the country has given Liechtenstein artists the opportunity to live and work in the Liechtenstein studio in Berlin for several months. The studio is open to all artistic professions and disciplines such as visual arts, literature, music, performing arts, film, media arts, architecture or design.
The Liechtenstein Cultural Foundation has been awarding work-year scholarships since 2008, focusing on the promotion of artists of all disciplines. The Foundation pays CHF 48,000 per year and recipient.
The International Music Academy in Liechtenstein trains highly talented musicians between the ages of 10 and 28, 20 per cent of whom come from the region around Liechtenstein. It supports students with numerous scholarships and full bursaries.
In 2006, the Liechtenstein PEN Club established the Heinrich Ellermann Scholarship for older writers. This scholarship is currently dormant.
At the same time, there are a number of other funding instruments for all disciplines, especially at the state level, in addition to annual and studio scholarships:
work grants, project grants, work purchases, performance and event grants, contributions for publications, as well as travel grants for participation in exhibitions, festivals or fairs outside of Liechtenstein. The Liechtenstein Cultural Foundation supports artists taking into account the economic situation of the applicants.
In Liechtenstein, a relatively large number of private foundations support projects, concerts or events, but only a few private foundations specifically support artists, such as the VP Bank Art Foundation (see 1.3.1) or the Pepi Frommelt Foundation (see 3.5.4).
There is no statistical data on the income situation of professional artists in Liechtenstein, nor is there a social capital fund for artists in need.
Last update: May, 2023
Awards
Since 2001, the Ministry of Culture has organised the annual book competition “Most Beautiful Books from Liechtenstein”. While the award serves as recognition at home, the competition is also a national elimination for Liechtenstein’s participation in the international competition “Most Beautiful Books from Around the World” in Leipzig.
The Josef Gabriel von Rheinberger Award, endowed with CHF 15,000, has been awarded every two years since 1976. In memory of the Liechtenstein composer, the municipality of Vaduz thus honours cultural or scientific achievements.
Vaduzer Medienhaus and Liechtensteinische Landesbank award the “Prix Kujulie”, the Young Liechtenstein Culture Prize. Since 2005, the award has been given annually to cultural movers and shakers who inject new momentum into the Liechtenstein cultural scene.
In 1980, the Liechtenstein PEN Club awarded the Liechtenstein Prize for the first time to promote young literary talent. This award gained international recognition and is mentioned in the “Fischer Literatur-Almanach”.
The small state of Liechtenstein makes only limited use of the important funding instrument of individual artist promotion through cultural and art awards – in keeping with the size of the country.
An award is international in scope. Since 2016, the Foundation of the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein has been organising the Discovery Award, one of the 17 music award categories of the ICMA, together with the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA). The prize is awarded to classical music musicians between the ages of 12 and 18.
EEA Grants
The three EEA/EFTA states Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein make a solidarity contribution to reducing economic and social inequalities in the EEA. Through the so-called “EEA Financial Mechanism 2014–2021” (EEA Grants), around 1.5 billion euros were made available for funding projects in Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Liechtenstein contributed around EUR 16 million. EEA Grants are used to finance cultural projects in these 15 EU countries, among others, and Liechtenstein cultural creators can also participate in these projects.
Last update: May, 2023
In Liechtenstein, professional cultural creators are represented by three organisations that advocate for their interests (see 1.2.5):
- Visarte Liechtenstein Professional Association of Visual Artists
- Word – the Authors’ Interest Group in Liechtenstein
- IG Kunst & Kultur (Interest Group for Art and Culture) in Liechtenstein
The Liechtenstein Cultural Foundation supports Visarte under a performance agreement (CHF 41,000); IG Kunst & Kultur received a project contribution in 2021.
Last update: May, 2023
Compared to other countries, Liechtenstein culture is strongly supported by the state and municipalities. A growing contribution to the promotion of art and culture is made through patronage and cultural sponsorship by charitable foundations, banks, industrial companies, commercial enterprises and private individuals who financially support events and projects or purchase works of art. Private collections, some of international standing, are showcased to the interested public in exhibitions and publications. However, specific information and figures on the amount of private contributions to art and culture are still unavailable in Liechtenstein. Experts assume that there are considerable financial resources to supplement public funding.