Jump to content

Fritz Walser

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fritz Walser
President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein
In office
December 1919 – December 1921
MonarchJohann II
Preceded byAlbert Schädler
Succeeded byWilhelm Beck
Personal details
Born16 November 1870
Schaan,Liechtenstein
Died26 March 1950 (aged 69)
Schaan, Liechtenstein
Political partyProgressive Citizens' Party
Spouse
Julia Wachter-Wölfle
​
​
(m.1899; died 1949)​
Children5

Fritz Walser(16 November 1870 – 26 March 1950) was a political figure fromLiechtensteinwho served asPresident of the Landtag of Liechtensteinfrom 1919 to 1921.

Early life

[edit]

Walser was born on 16 November 1870 inSchaanas the son ofsergeantand community leader Ferdinand Walser and Josefa Schlegel as one of seven children.[1]

Career

[edit]

From 1887 to 1933 he was an agent forBâloiseagainst fire damage in Liechtenstein. From 1896 he was also a clerk at the regional court. In 1904 Walser took over the Schaan post office from his father-in-law as post administrator, and from 1906 to 1935 he became postmaster. From 1906 to 1909 he was a member of the Schaan school council, and its deputy head from 1912 to 1915. From 1907 to 1920 he was a member of the state school board.[1]He was mayor of the municipality from 1909 to 1912 and again from 1915 to 1918.[2]

From1906to 1914,1918to 1922 and again from1930to 1932 he served in theLandtag of Liechtensteinas a member of theProgressive Citizens' Party.[3]In 1907, Walser, together withKarl Schädlerand Jakob Kaiser, submitted a proposal to create a press law. He was committed to the issue of Liechtenstein stamps, which was made possible by the 1911 postal agreement with Austria.[1]

Walser (fourth from left on front) with members of the Landtag, 1921.

ThroughoutWorld War I,Walser was an outspoken critic ofLeopold Freiherr von Imhof,theGovernor of Liechtensteinas the war had brought economic devastation to the country.[1][4][5]He played a key role in theNovember 1918 Liechtenstein putsch;he along withWilhelm BeckandMartin Ritter,deeply dissatisfied by Imhof's handling of the economy and who wanted a Liechtensteiner head of state, proposed amotion of no confidenceagainst him in the Landtag on 7 November. Imhof asked for a vote of confidence and at the same time agreed to submit his resignation. While the Landtag unanimously expressed its confidence in him it was decided, against theconstitutionand the princely appointed Landtag members, to transfer the power of Governor to aProvisional Executive Committeeled by Ritter andJohann IIaccepted Imhof's resignation on 13 November.[6]He was subsequently appointedPresident of the Landtag of Liechtensteinin January 1919, serving until December 1921.[7]

Walser was a leading member of the foundation of theProgressive Citizens' Partyin 1918. Despite previously wanting a Liechtensteiner head of state, whenJohann IIappointedJosef PeerGovernor of Liechtensteinin 1920, Walser and the Progressive Citizens' Party supported his appointment in contrast to theChristian-Social People's Partyas they believed the role should only be reserved for Liechtensteiners.[1][8]Eventually it was agreed that Peer could take the position, but only for a 6-month period.[9]He was a member of the committee for Liechtenstein's constitutional revision, creating theconstitution of Liechtenstein,which was ratified on 5 October 1921.[1][10]

Walser (bottom-left) as part of the Liechtenstein delegation for custom union negotiations with Switzerland, 1920.

He was a member of the Liechtenstein delegation for in negotiations between Liechtenstein and Switzerland for forming closer economic ties, which cultivated in acustoms unionbeing formed between the two countries in 1924.[11][12]In 1938 he was a member of negotiations between the Progressive Citizens' Party andPatriotic Unionwhen they formed acoalition governmentoverseen byFranz Joseph IIin the wake of theAnschluss of Austria.[1][13][14]

Later life and death

[edit]

From 1939 he was a princley poastal councillor and from 1940 anhonorary memberof theHistorical Association for the Principality of Liechtenstein.[1]

Walser died on 26 March 1950 in Schaan, aged 69 years old.[1]

Personal life

[edit]

Walser married Julia Wachter-Wölfle (12 October 1880 – 19 August 1949) on 18 September 1899 and they had five children together.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdefghijBüchel, Donat (31 December 2011)."Walser, Fritz (Friedrich)".Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein(in German).Retrieved20 November2023.
  2. ^Mayr, Ulrike;Quaderer, Rupert;Frommelt, Fabian (31 December 2011)."Schaan".Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein(in German).Retrieved23 May2024.
  3. ^Paul Vogt(1987).125 Jahre Landtag.Vaduz: Landtag of the Principality of Liechtenstein.
  4. ^Quaderer, Rupert(31 December 2011)."Erster Weltkrieg".Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein(in German).Retrieved28 September2023.
  5. ^"10,000 NEUTRALS STARVING.; Swiss Government Sends Food to Liechtenstein Population".The New York Times.21 March 1915.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved6 October2023.
  6. ^Quaderer, Rupert(31 December 2011)."Novemberputsch 1918".Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein(in German).Retrieved3 October2023.
  7. ^"Mitglieder - Präsidenten"(in German). March 27, 2019. Archived fromthe originalon 2019-03-27.
  8. ^Quaderer, Rupert(31 December 2011)."Peer, Josef".Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein(in German).Retrieved18 September2023.
  9. ^Quaderer, Rupert(31 December 2011)."Schlossabmachungen (Septemberabmachungen, Schloss-Protokoll)".Historisches Lexikon(in German).Retrieved18 September2023.
  10. ^Nohlen, D& Stöver, P (2010)Elections in Europe: A data handbook,p1156ISBN978-3-8329-5609-7
  11. ^Marxer, Roland (31 December 2011)."Zollanschlussvertrag".Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein(in German).Retrieved25 October2023.
  12. ^"Switzerland and Liechtenstein: December 2000".World Trade Organization.2000-12-06.Retrieved2012-09-16.
  13. ^Tikkanen, Amy (21 April 2023)."Francis Joseph II, prince of Liechtenstein".Britannica.Retrieved15 May2023.
  14. ^Streitwireless, Clarence (10 April 1938)."GUARANTEE SOUGHT BY LIECHTENSTEIN; Principality Wants to Join Switzerland if Powers Fail to Back Independencece GERMAN INVASION FEARED".The New York Times.Retrieved16 May2023.

See also

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fritz_Walser&oldid=1246063652"