Schellenberg

For people with the surname Schellenberg, see Schellenberg (surname). For the assault by British and Imperial forces during the War of the Spanish Succession, see Battle of Schellenberg.
Schellenberg
Municipality

Schellenberg in early-June 2007

Flag
Coat of arms

Schellenberg within Liechtenstein
Coordinates: 47°14′0.98″N 9°32′53.01″E / 47.2336056°N 9.5480583°E / 47.2336056; 9.5480583Coordinates: 47°14′0.98″N 9°32′53.01″E / 47.2336056°N 9.5480583°E / 47.2336056; 9.5480583
Country  Liechtenstein
Electoral district Unterland
Villages none
Area
 • Total 3.5 km2 (1.4 sq mi)
Elevation 626 m (2,054 ft)
Population (31-12-2014)[1]
 • Total 1,053
 • Density 294/km2 (760/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 9488
Area code(s) 7011
ISO 3166 code LI-08
Website www.schellenberg.li
Lordship of Schellenberg
Herrschaft Schellenberg
State of the Holy Roman Empire
9th century – 1719
Capital Schellenberg, Vaduz
Government Principality
Historical era Middle Ages
 • Conquered by Rome 15 BC
 •  County created by
    Charlemagne		   the 9th century
 • Purchased by
    Counts of Vaduz		  
1437
 • Acquired, with Vaduz,
    by Austria		  
1499
 • Liechtenstein dynasty
    become Fürsten		  
1706
 •  Acquired by
    Liechtenstein dynasty		   1719
Preceded by 		Succeeded by
Raetia
Liechtenstein

Schellenberg is a municipality in the lowland area of Liechtenstein, on the banks of the Rhine. As of 2014, it has a population of 1,053 and covers an area of 3.5 km2 (1.4 sq mi).

History

Early history

The area was first settled by Celts, then by Rhaetians. Rome conquered the area in 15 BC, and made it part of the province of Rhaetia. The Province later became a county (countship) under Charlemagne. The county was repeatedly divided among heirs.[2]

The Lordship of Schellenberg was purchased by the Counts of Vaduz in 1437 and the two states have been united in fact ever since. After the Swabian War in 1499, both came under Austrian suzerainty. Different dynasties of counts bought and sold them, until their purchase in the early 18th century by the Liechtenstein dynasty, which had been granted princely status in 1706, but which needed to acquire a territory with imperial immediacy in order to vote in the Diet of the Princes of the Empire. The emperor formally united Vaduz and Schellenberg in 1719 as the Principality of Liechtenstein.[2][3]

World War II

In the municipality, there is a monument at the border town of Hinterschellenberg that commemorates the asylum given to Russian soldiers.[4] At the close of World War II, Liechtenstein granted asylum to approximately five hundred soldiers of the First Russian National Army, a collaborationist Russian force within the German Wehrmacht. This act was no small matter as the country was poor and had difficulty feeding and caring for such a large group of refugees. Eventually, Argentina agreed to resettle the asylum seekers permanently. In contrast, the British repatriated the Russians who fought on the German side to the USSR.

Transport

In Schellenberg, there is a small road crossing to Austria, manned by Austrian, Swiss border guards.

See also

References

  1. ↑ (German) 2014 Statistics for Liechtenstein
  2. 1 2 History of Schellenberg
  3. ↑ The Lordship of Schellenberg on states-world.com
  4. ↑ Schellenberg TravelGuide on Virtual Tourist.com
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