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Rathaus Vaduz
Vaduz Town Hall dates from 1932/33. It was extensively renovated in the years 1982 to 1984.
The balcony fresco by Johannes Troyer on the south façade depicts St. Urban, the patron saint of wine growers. The municipal coat of arms can be seen carved in stone above the entrance.
In 1931 the Municipal Assembly, and in 1932 the Greater Municipal Council, voted to build a new Vaduz Town Hall. The cost of this project amounted to almost three times the total municipal revenues. The driving force behind the project, which was realised in the years 1932/1933, was the then Mayor, Ludwig Ospelt.
Economic and financial circumstances in Vaduz were anything but robust at the time. Despite this, the population in 1931 was bold enough to approve a project that was estimated would cost up to CHF 350,000.00 to complete. For the time, this was a huge sum, when seen in relation to the annual tax and overall revenues.
On 17 November 1931 the Municipal Assembly voted to build a new Town Hall together with offices for the Bank in Liechtenstein on a site opposite the inn "Engel". Numerous planners were keen to secure the commission. Franz Roeckle was selected to present his project designs to the Greater Municipal Council on 29 January 1932, and won the commission on the same day. The designs were redrafted several times in close collaboration with the Mayor. On 27 September 1932 the Permanent Municipal Council and on 30 September the Greater Municipal Council approved Roeckle's revised plans.
Construction work proceeded apace, and the Town Hall was ceremoniously opened on 19 November 1933. In addition to the Mayor's Office, the Municipal Council and the Municipal Administration, the Vaduz Town Hall was used for a variety of purposes. It housed the Bank in Liechtenstein, the Liechtensteinische Landesbank, the Post Office as well as a number of associations. It was renovated and altered on several occasions.
A thorough renovation took place in 1984 under the auspices of Mayor Arthur Konrad. Since then the Town Hall has been used exclusively for municipal purposes. Ludwig Ospelt (Mayor from 1930 - 1933 and 1936 - 1942) was the first holder of that post who had his office in the Town Hall.
The interior design and external architecture of the Town Hall also needs to be seen in conjunction with the work of various artists. The balcony fresco by Johannes Troyer on the south façade depicts Pope St. Urban, the patron saint of wine growers. The front of the balcony balustrade is decorated with images of winegrowers, while the sides show ears of wheat and corn cobs. The municipal coat of arms carved in stone over the entrance was realised by Engelbert Ospelt. The coat of arms was awarded to the Municipality of Vaduz on 26 July 1978, marking the 40th anniversary of the accession of Prince Franz Josef II.
