| Liechtensteinisches Rotes Kreuz | |
 Logo in German | |
 Headquarters in Vaduz | |
 | |
| Formation | 30 April 1945; 80 years ago (1945-04-30) |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Humanitarian aid |
| Headquarters | Vaduz, Liechtenstein |
| Coordinates | 47°07′58.79″N9°30′48.85″E / 47.1329972°N 9.5135694°E /47.1329972; 9.5135694 |
Region | Liechtenstein |
President | Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein |
Parent organization | International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies |
| Website | roteskreuz |
TheLiechtenstein Red Cross (German:Liechtensteinisches Rotes Kreuz), orLRK, is thenational Red Cross society forLiechtenstein. It conducts humanitarian aid in cooperation with theInternational Committee of the Red Cross.
The LRK was formed on 30 April 1945 under the initiative ofGina, Princess of Liechtenstein due to the number of war refugees in Liechtenstein following the end ofWorld War II. It was recognised as a Red Cross society on 22 June 1945 and was headed by Princess Gina until 1985, thenMarie, Princess of Liechtenstein until 2015, and since then bySophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein.[1][2]
The LRK was initially formed to care for the 7,000 war refugees that had crossed into Liechtenstein in the closing weeks and followingWorld War II, where it provided soup kitchens and bathing services for them nearSchaanwald, while calling the population of Liechtenstein to donate towards aiding the refugees.[1][3] Most notably, it cared for soldiers of the pro-AxisFirst Russian National Army when they took refuge in the country near the end of the war.[4] It also provided assistance in neighbouringAllied-occupied Austria and was later expanded to domestic coverage.[3]Domestically, in 1946 a mother's advice centre was established, in 1948 the LRK expanded to cover family welfare until 1996 and in 1956 a children's home was opened inTriesen, which was later moved toSchaan in 1965.[3][5] The organisation has offered blood donations since 1953 and has operated rescue services since 1972.[3] The organisation has also come out in support of greater action to combatclimate change.[6]
The provision of foreign humanitarian aid and refugee assistance conducted by the LRK has included theHungarian Revolution of 1956, the1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia,[7] theVietnam War and after theRevolutions of 1989, in which the LRK also conducted its own initiatives in Eastern Europe through the use of private contacts.[3] It has also included aid to refugees of theYugoslav Wars[8] and theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[9][10] It has provided assistance to people affected by theNagorno-Karabakh conflict.[11]