Balzers

{{Infobox settlement

| official_name = Balzers

| settlement_type = Municipality

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| image_skyline = Burg Gutenberg - Balzers- Liechtenstein.jpg

| imagesize = 250px

| image_caption = Balzers in early September 2010

| image_flag = Flag_of_Balzers_Liechtenstein-1.svg

| flag_size = 30px

| image_seal =

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| image_shield = Wappen Balzers.svg

| shield_size = 100px

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| image_map = {{hidden|Location of Balzers|{{infobox mapframe|frame-width=250|frame-height=240}}}}

| image_map1 = Balzers in Liechtenstein.svg

| mapsize = 250px

| map_caption1 = Balzers (southwest) and its exclaves in Liechtenstein

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| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = {{Flag|Liechtenstein}}

| subdivision_type1 = Electoral district

| subdivision_name1 = Oberland

| subdivision_type2 = Villages

| subdivision_name2 = Mäls

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| leader_party = VU

| leader_title = Mayor

| leader_name = Karl Malin

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| area_total_km2 = 19.73

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| population_total = 4,806{{ https://www.citypopulation.de/en/liechtenstein/>}}

| population_density_km2 = auto

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| timezone = CET

| utc_offset = +1

| timezone_DST = CEST

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| coordinates = {{coord|47|04|N|9|30|E|region:LI-01|display=inline,title}}

| elevation_footnotes =

| elevation_m = 472

| elevation_ft =

| postal_code_type = Postal code

| postal_code = 9496

| iso_code = LI-01

| area_code = 7003

| website = [http://www.balzers.li/ www.balzers.li]

| footnotes =

}}

Balzers ({{IPA|de-CH|ˈbaltsərs|-|De-Balzers.ogg}}) is a municipality and village located in southern Liechtenstein. In 2024, the village had a population of 4,806.({{ https://www.citypopulation.de/en/liechtenstein/> Population Blazers}}) The main part of the village is situated along the east bank of the Rhine.

History and culture

File:Balzers, binnenkomst van de plaats vanaf Trubbach foto2 2014-07-20 16.51.jpg

Historically, the present-day form of the village consists of two different villages, the actual Balzers in the east and Mäls in the west. Not visible to the unaware, the division still persists in the local village culture, where it manifests in half-serious local competition. Some customs, such as the "Funken", a springtime ritual with pre-Christian origins involving a huge bonfire, are still being practised by each separately.{{cn|date=December 2024}} The location was first mentioned in 842 as Palazoles. The name originates from Latin palatiola, meaning small palace.{{cite web |title=Balzers |url=https://namenbuch.li/Ortsnamen/Balzers |website=Liechtensteiner Namenbuch |access-date=25 December 2024}}

Balzers is the home of the Gutenberg Castle, which was built around 1200 on a rocky hill between Balzers and Mäls.

File:Gutenberg Castle Panorama.jpg

Administration

Balzers is locally administered by the mayor and a 10-person municipal council, elected every four years since 1975. The incumbent mayor is Karl Marlin, since 2023.{{Cite web |last=Mayr |first=Ulrike |last2=Vogt |first2=Paul |author-link2=Paul Vogt (historian) |date=31 December 2011 |title=Balzers |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Balzers |access-date=24 November 2024 |website=Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein |language=de}}

= List of mayors (1864–present) =

class="wikitable" \|+{{sronly\|List of mayors (1864–present)}} ! scope="col" \|Name ! scope="col" \|Term ! colspan="2" scope="colgroup" \|Party ! scope="col" \|{{Abbreviation\|Ref(s)\|Reference(s)}}
scope="row" \|Franz Anton Kaufmann \|1864–1865 \| style="background:{{party color\|Independent politician}}" rowspan="17" \| \| rowspan="17" \|{{center\|—}} \| rowspan="29" \|{{center\|}}
Johann Georg Büchel \|1865–1867
Franz Wolfinger \|1867–1870
Baptist Fritsche \|1870–1873
Johann Baptist Frick \|1873–1876
Johann Georg Vogt \|1876–1879
Baptist Johann Fritsche \|1879–1879
Franz Vogt \|1879–1882
Josef Isidor Brunhart \|1882–1885
Christian Brunhart \|1885–1888
Josef Isidor Brunhart \|1888–1891
Christian Brunhart \|1891–1894
Josef Isidor Brunhart \|1894–1897
Heinrich Brunhart \|1897–1900
Elias Vogt \|1900–1903
Heinrich Brunhart \|1903–1912
Emil Wolfinger \|1912–1918
Gebhard Brunhart \|1918–1927 \|{{Party name with color\|Progressive Citizens' Party}}
Basil Vogt \|1927–1936 \|{{Party name with color\|Christian-Social People's Party (Liechtenstein)}}
Georg Vogt \|1936–1939 \|{{Party name with color\|Progressive Citizens' Party}}
Alois Willie \|1939–1945 \|{{Party name with color\|Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein)}}
Fidel Brunhart \|1945–1960 \|{{Party name with color\|Progressive Citizens' Party}}
Walter Brunhart \|1960–1966 \|{{Party name with color\|Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein)}}
Emanuel Vogt \|1966–1987 \|{{Party name with color\|Progressive Citizens' Party}}
Othmar Vogt \|1987–2003 \|{{Party name with color\|Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein)}}
Anton Eberle \|2003–2011 \|{{Party name with color\|Progressive Citizens' Party}}
Arthur Brunhart \|2011–2015 \|{{Party name with color\|Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein)}}
Hansjörg Büchel \|2015–2023 \|{{Party name with color\|Progressive Citizens' Party}}
Karl Malin \|2023– \|{{Party name with color\|Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein)}}

class="wikitable"

|+{{sronly|List of mayors (1864–present)}}

! scope="col" |Name

! scope="col" |Term

! colspan="2" scope="colgroup" |Party

! scope="col" |{{Abbreviation|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}}

scope="row" |Franz Anton Kaufmann

|1864–1865

| style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}" rowspan="17" |

| rowspan="17" |{{center|—}}

| rowspan="29" |{{center|}}

Johann Georg Büchel

|1865–1867

Franz Wolfinger

|1867–1870

Baptist Fritsche

|1870–1873

Johann Baptist Frick

|1873–1876

Johann Georg Vogt

|1876–1879

Baptist Johann Fritsche

|1879–1879

Franz Vogt

|1879–1882

Josef Isidor Brunhart

|1882–1885

Christian Brunhart

|1885–1888

Josef Isidor Brunhart

|1888–1891

Christian Brunhart

|1891–1894

Josef Isidor Brunhart

|1894–1897

Heinrich Brunhart

|1897–1900

Elias Vogt

|1900–1903

Heinrich Brunhart

|1903–1912

Emil Wolfinger

|1912–1918

Gebhard Brunhart

|1918–1927