Liechtenstein Homeland Service Liechtensteiner Heimatdienst | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | LHD |
| Founded | 1 October 1933; 92 years ago (1933-10-01) |
| Dissolved | 1 January 1936; 90 years ago (1936-01-01) |
| Merged into | Patriotic Union |
| Newspaper | Stimme für heimische Wirtschaft, Kultur und Volkstum (Voice for local business, culture and folklore) |
| Ideology | Corporate statism Nazism |
| Political position | Far-right |
[1] | |
Liechtenstein Homeland Service (German:Liechtensteiner Heimatdienst,LHD) was a political party inLiechtenstein that advocatedcorporate statism and the abolition ofparty politics. Shortly after its founding, the party also moved towardsNazism. It merged with theChristian-Social People's Party to form thePatriotic Union in 1936.
The LHD was formed on 1 October 1933, withOtto Schaedler,Alois Vogt andCarl Freiherr von Vogelsang as leading members. Although the party was initially formed on the basis of an authoritariancorporate state similar to that of Austria underEngelbert Dollfuss, it quickly moved towards that ofNazism. The people behind theRotter kidnapping also became active in the party following their release from prison.[2] This move towards Nazism caused several founding members, such asRichard Meier,Gustav Ospelt, andMartin Risch to abandon the party.[2][3][4] The party briefly held a seat in theLandtag of Liechtenstein whenGeorg Frick left theProgressive Citizens' Party (FBP) to found the party, but he too abandoned the party following the move towards Nazism and subsequently re-joined the FBP.[5]
The party ran anantisemitic campaign within Liechtenstein and advocated against the government's naturalization policies.[2] In addition, the party also developed a cult of personality similar to that of Nazi Germany, with the phrase 'Heil Otto!' being used towards Schaedler within the party.[6] The party's primary aims were the abolition ofparty politics, ending the customs union with Switzerland, and alignment towards Germany, with the eventual goal of Liechtenstein's annexation into the country.[7] The party sought to gain contacts within Nazi Germany, particularly within theVerein für Deutsche Kulturbeziehungen im Ausland (VDA). In doing so, Rudolf Schädler, Vogt and Vogelsang were guests at the 1934Nuremberg rally.[8] In a speech on 18 March 1934, bothprime ministerJosef Hoop andpresident of the LandtagAnton Frommelt spoke out against the LHD.[2]
In 1935, the LHD formed an alliance with theChristian-Social People's Party (VP) which was referred to as the 'National Opposition'. This alliance pushed through an initiative to introduceproportional representation within the country.[9] However, the subsequent1935 Liechtenstein electoral system referendum was narrowly rejected by voters.[10] Motivated by a desire to unite the opposition prior to the1936 Liechtenstein general election, the VP and LHD merged on 1 January 1936 to form thePatriotic Union (VU).[9][11] Despite the LHD being the smaller of the two parties, the new VU was heavily influenced by it, with Schaedler becoming the party president, and Vogt the party secretary.[12] In addition, the two parties' respective newspapers merged to form theLiechtensteiner Vaterland with Vogelsang as its editor.[13]
| Represented in theLandtag | |
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| Other parties | |
| Defunct parties | |
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