Balzers is a village located in southern

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarch ...

. As of 2019, the village had a total population of 4,642. The main part of the village is situated along the east bank of the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

History and culture

Historically, the present-day form of the village consists of two different villages, the actual Balzers in the east and

Mäls Mäls is a village of Liechtenstein, located in the municipality of Balzers. Geography The village, contiguous with Balzers, is located next to the river Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_eleva ...

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. The two parts were first mentioned in 842 as ''Palazole''. Balzers is the home of the Burg Gutenberg, which was built in the 12th-century and located on a rocky hill in the centre of the village. On 7 April 2014, the manager, Jürgen Frick, of the Frick & Co. Bank was shot and killed in a parking garage in the town. The shooter, Jürgen Hermann, was found dead after committing suicide by shooting himself in the head. The event was noteworthy due to Liechtenstein's extremely low crime rate.

Transport

Heliport

Balzers has a

heliport A heliport is a small airport suitable for use by helicopters and some other vertical lift aircraft. Designated heliports typically contain one or more touchdown and liftoff areas and may also have limited facilities such as fuel or hangars. I ...

available for charter flights (). The heliport has no border-control facilities; therefore, the only flights permitted to use it are those heading to and from elsewhere within the Schengen Area.

Economy

Oerlikon Balzers

The headquarters of the major thin film coating, solar and vacuum technology company

Oerlikon Balzers Oerlikon Balzers is a part of the OC Oerlikon group, a Liechtensteiner technology conglomerate, and a supplier of PVD coatings. The OC Oerlikon group consists of companies in the following segments: Manmade Fibres, Drive Systems and Surface Solut ...

is located in Balzers.

Notable people

Xaver Frick Xaver Frick (22 February 1913 – 10 June 2009) was a Liechtensteiner Olympic track and field athlete and cross-country skier. He was born in Balzers, Liechtenstein. He competed in track sprinting events in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin a ...

(1913 in Balzers – 2009) Olympic track and field athlete and cross-country skier. He competed in track sprinting events in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and cross-country skiing at the

1948 Winter Olympics The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games (german: V. Olympische Winterspiele; french: Ves Jeux olympiques d'hiver; it, V Giochi olimpici invernali; rm, V Gieus olimpics d'enviern) and commonly known as St. Moritz ...

in St. Moritz. Frick is the only Liechtenstein athlete to date to have competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. He was awarded a

Golden Laurel The Laurel Awards was an American cinema awards system established to honor films, actors, actresses, producers, directors, and composers. This award was created by the ''Motion Picture Exhibitor'' magazine, and ran from 1948 to 1971 (with the ...

in 2003 by the government of Liechtenstein for outstanding contributions to sport. *

Andrea Willi Andrea Willi (born 25 May 1955) is a politician from Liechtenstein, first woman to hold the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the government of Prime Minister Mario Frick, between 15 December 1993 and 5 April 2001. She is member of Patr ...

(born 1955) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993-2001).

Twin towns and sister cities

* Saitama, Japan (2000)

References

External links

Official website
Municipalities of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein–Switzerland border crossings {{Liechtenstein-stub