Arthur Brunhart (born 23 January 1952) is a historian and former politician from

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

who served as the President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 2009 to 2013. Additionally, he served as mayor of Balzers from 2011 to 2015.

Early life and career

Brunhart was born on 23 January 1952 in

Balzers Balzers () is a municipality and village located in southern Liechtenstein. In 2024, the village had a population of 4,806. The main part of the village is situated along the east bank of the Rhine. History and culture Historically, the present- ...

as the son of plasterer Andreas Brunhart and businesswoman Rosa Frick as one of eight children, including his brother

Hans Brunhart Hans Brunhart (; born 28 March 1945) is a politician and journalist from Liechtenstein who served as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1978 to 1993. He previously served as Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1974 to 1978, under the go ...

. He attended secondary school in Mörschwil from 1965 to 1973. From 1973 to 1982 he studied history and

ethnology Ethnology (from the , meaning 'nation') is an academic field and discipline that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). Sci ...

Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

and worked as a research assistant there from 1982 to 1984. He worked in various research positions in Rome, Paris, Dublin and London.

Historian career

From 1985 to 1990 he worked as a freelance historian. From 1990 to 2000 he was editor and chief, then project manager from 2001 to 2013 of the

Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein The Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein () is an encyclopedia on the history of Liechtenstein, first published in 2013 and available for free on the internet since 2018. History The project was heavily inspired by the Histor ...

, which was published in 2013. Supported by a scientific advisory board that meets twice a year, Brunhart was the sole editor responsible for implementing the project from 1990 onwards. He initiated four Liechtenstein seminars ranging from 1994 to 1996 held at the universities of

Zurich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

and

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

respectively. From 1985 to 1994 he was a member of the board of the

Liechtenstein National Museum The Liechtenstein National Museum () is a museum in Vaduz, the capital city of Liechtenstein. History The establishment of the museum originated from the idea of Governor Friedrich Stellwag von Carion. The museum was then established in 1890 i ...

and then from 2000 to 2011 he was a research assistant and deputy director. He was also the vice-president of the Independent Commission of Historians Liechtenstein Second World War from 2001 to 2005 and board member of the Association for the History of Lake Constance and its Surroundings from 1995 to 2012. Since 2020, Brunhart has been the co-chairman of the Liechtenstein-Czech Commission of Historians, succeeding

Peter Geiger Peter Geiger (; 22 October 1942 – 6 April 2025) was a Liechtensteiner historian and research officer at the Liechtenstein Institute for history. His primary focus was on the history of Liechtenstein during the 1930s and World War II. Life a ...

. He is also a contributor to the Balzner Neujahrsblätter.

Political career

Brunhart was elected to the

Landtag of Liechtenstein The Landtag of the Principality of Liechtenstein () is the unicameral parliament of Liechtenstein. Qualifications Citizens who have attained the age of 18, have permanent residency in the country and have lived in the country for at least on ...

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

as a member of the Patriotic Union.

Dieter Nohlen Dieter Nohlen (born 6 November 1939) is a German academic and political scientist. He currently holds the position of Emeritus Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Heidelberg. An ex ...

& Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1166 He chaired the European Education Area from 2005 to 2009 and a member of the judge selection committee. He was elected mayor of Balzers in

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

, a position he held until 2015. From February 2009 to March 2013 he was appointed to serve as the President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein. He decided to not seek re-election in the 2013 general election and was succeeded by Albert Frick.

Personal life

Brunhart married librarian Ulrike Banzer (6 November 1959 – 14 March 2006) on 30 September 1988 and they had three children together. He has a domestic partnership with businesswoman Vera Thöny (born 8 March 1960).

External links

Arthur Brunhart's entry at the Liechtenstein Institute

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunhart, Arthur Living people 1952 births People from Balzers University of Freiburg alumni Presidents of the Landtag of Liechtenstein Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein) members of the Landtag of Liechtenstein Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein) mayors of Liechtenstein Political historians Liechtenstein historians Mayors of Balzers Members of the Landtag of Liechtenstein (2005–2009) Members of the Landtag of Liechtenstein (2009–2013)