Balzers

Balzers (Swiss Standard German pronunciation: [ˈbaltsərs] ^ⓘ) is a municipality and village located in southern Liechtenstein. In 2024, the village had a population of 4,806.^[1] The main part of the village is situated along the east bank of the Rhine.

Balzers
Municipality
Balzers in early September 2010
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Balzers
Balzers (southwest) and its exclaves in Liechtenstein
Coordinates: 47°04′N 9°30′E
Country	Liechtenstein
Electoral district	Oberland
Villages	Mäls
Government
• Mayor	Karl Malin (VU)
Area
• Total	19.73 km2 (7.62 sq mi)
Elevation	472 m (1,549 ft)
Population
• Total	4,806[1]
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	CEST
Postal code	9496
Area code	7003
ISO 3166 code	LI-01
Website	www.balzers.li

History and culture

Balzers, entry (direction to Trubbach)

Historically, the present-day form of the village consists of two different villages, the actual Balzers in the east and Mäls 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.^{[citation needed]} The location was first mentioned in 842 as Palazoles.^[2] The name originates from Latin palatiola, meaning small palace.^[3]

Balzers is the home of the Gutenberg Castle, which was built around 1200 on a rocky hill between Balzers and Mäls.^[2]

Balzers seen from Gutenberg Castle, looking towards the Swiss city of Sargans.

Administration

Balzers is locally administered by the mayor and a 10-person municipal council, elected every four years since 1975. The incumbent mayor is Karl Marlin, since 2023.^[2]

List of mayors (1864–present)

List of mayors (1864–present)

Name	Term	Party		Ref(s)
Franz Anton Kaufmann	1864–1865		—	[2]
Johann Georg Büchel	1865–1867
Franz Wolfinger	1867–1870
Baptist Fritsche	1870–1873
Johann Baptist Frick	1873–1876
Johann Georg Vogt	1876–1879
Baptist Johann Fritsche	1879–1879
Franz Vogt	1879–1882
Josef Isidor Brunhart	1882–1885
Christian Brunhart	1885–1888
Josef Isidor Brunhart	1888–1891
Christian Brunhart	1891–1894
Josef Isidor Brunhart	1894–1897
Heinrich Brunhart	1897–1900
Elias Vogt	1900–1903
Heinrich Brunhart	1903–1912
Emil Wolfinger	1912–1918
Gebhard Brunhart	1918–1927		FBP
Basil Vogt	1927–1936		CSVP
Georg Vogt	1936–1939		FBP
Alois Willie	1939–1945		VU
Fidel Brunhart	1945–1960		FBP
Walter Brunhart	1960–1966		VU
Emanuel Vogt	1966–1987		FBP
Othmar Vogt	1987–2003		VU
Anton Eberle	2003–2011		FBP
Arthur Brunhart	2011–2015		VU
Hansjörg Büchel	2015–2023		FBP
Karl Malin	2023–		VU

Transport

Heliport

Balzers has a heliport available for charter flights (IATA: -, ICAO: LSXB) (47.06812°N 9.48118°E / 47.06812; 9.48118 (Balzers heliport)). 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.

Aircraft	Year implemented	Type	In service	Role
Ecureuil AS 350	2005, 2008, and 2012	B3	3	Used for transporting people
Guimbal Cabri G2	2011		1	Purchased for a new pilot training program, started April 2011
Kaman K-Max	2006	1200	1	Used for transporting cargo

Economy

Oerlikon Balzers

The headquarters of the major thin film coating, solar and vacuum technology company Oerlikon Balzers is located in Balzers.^[4]

Sports

FC Balzers plays in Swiss 1. Liga .They play at the Sportplatz Rheinau, stadium has a capacity of 2,000. ^[5]

Notable people

• Xaver Frick (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 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 in 2003 by the government of Liechtenstein for outstanding contributions to sport.
• Andrea Willi (born 1955) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993–2001).
• Christine Wohlwend (born 1978), politician.

See also

• Alexander Suvorov