Liechtenstein Royal Burial Sites

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2012

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czech Republic: Credit – Von Ojin – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6438939

Entrance to the burial crypts – the location can be seen in the photo above; Credit – Wikipedia

Maximilian of Liechtenstein, younger brother of Prince Karl I, and his wife founded a Pauline monastery and had the Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary built on the monastery grounds in the village of Vranov, then in Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. A crypt in the church served as the burial site for members of the House of Liechtenstein. When more room was needed for burials another crypt was built and the burial site then had the Old Crypt and the New Crypt.

The New Crypt; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein who died in 1938 was the last Sovereign Prince to be buried in the crypts at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. The burial property was seized after World War II by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia. Since then, both Czechoslovakia and the current Czech Republic have refused to return the property to the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. Despite this, Prince Hans-Adam II had the crypts extensively renovated from 2012 to 2015.

Princely Crypt, Vaduz Cathedral. photo: Wikipedia

In 1938, Prince Franz Josef II moved the family’s residence to Vaduz Castle in Liechtenstein, becoming the first Sovereign Prince to actually reside in the Principality. Because of the inaccessibility of the former tombs, a new burial site was needed. Prince Franz Joseph II had a new crypt built on the grounds of Vaduz Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of St. Florin, in the capital city of Liechtenstein. Franz Josef II was the first Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein to be buried there. The Princely Family of Liechtenstein practices the Roman Catholic religion.

Inside the Princely Crypt. photo: Wikipedia

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Princes of Liechtenstein (1608 – present)

  • Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1608 – 1627
  • Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1628 – 1684
  • Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1684 – 1712
  • Josef Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1712 – 1718, Regent 1732 – 1745, reigned 1748 – 1772
  • Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1718 – 1721
  • Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1721 – 1732
  • Johann Nepomuk Karl, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1732 – 1748
  • Franz Josef I, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1772 – 1781
  • Aloys I, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1781 – 1805
  • Johann I Josef, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1805 – 1836
  • Aloys II, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1836 – 1858
  • Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1858 – 1929
  • Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1929 – 1938
  • Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1938 – 1989
  • Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein, reigned 1989 – present

Unofficial Royalty: Liechtenstein Index
Official Website: The Princely House of Liechtenstein

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Portraits and photos of sovereign princes and their consorts are from Wikipedia unless otherwise noted.

Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned 1608 – February 12, 1627

Karl I was the first to become Prince of Liechtenstein and the founder of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein (despite the fact that Liechtenstein was not a recognized Principality for nearly another one hundred years). He was born July 30, 1569, the son of Baron Hartman II of Liechtenstein and Anna Maria of Ortenburg. In 1592, he married Anna Maria of Boskowicz and Černahora and they had four children. Karl was raised to ‘Prince’ by the future Mathias, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1608.

Prince Karl I died on February 12, 1627. He was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Tomb of Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Baroness Anna Maria of Boskowicz and Černahora, Princess of Liechtenstein

Anna Maria was born in 1577. She married the future Prince Karl I in 1592 and they had four children. Anna Maria died at the age of 50, on June 6, 1625, and was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

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Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned February 12, 1627 – April 5, 1684

Karl Eusebius was born September 12, 1611, the son of Karl I and Anna Maria of Boskowicz and Černahora. Just 16 when he became Prince, his uncles Gundakar and Maximilian acted as regents until he turned 21. He married, on August 4, 1644, Princess Johanna Beatrix of Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg. They had nine children.

Karl Eusebius died on April 5, 1684, and was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Princess Johanna Beatrix of Dietrichstein-Nikolsburg, Princess of Liechtenstein

Johanna Beatrix was born in 1625, the daughter of Maximilian, 2nd Prince of Dietrichstein, Baron of Hollenburg, Finkenstein, and Thalberg and his first wife Princess Anna Maria of Liechtenstein. She married Prince Karl Eusebius in 1644 and they had nine children. She died on March 26, 1676, and was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

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Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned April 5, 1684 – June 16, 1712

Hans-Adam I was born in 1657 (as Prince Johann Adam Andreas), son of Prince Karl Eusebius and Johanna Beatrix of Dietrichstein-Nikolsburg. On February 16, 1681, he married Princess Edmunda Maria Theresia of Dietrichstein-Nikolsburg. The couple had seven children. Hans-Adam acquired the Lordship of Schellenberg in 1699, and the County of Vaduz in 1712 which would later form the present Principality (not formally established until 1719). Unlike his predecessors, Hans-Adam did not accept any position with the Imperial Court.

Hans-Adam I died on June 16, 1712. He was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Princess Edmunda Maria Theresia of Dietrichstein-Nikolsburg, Princess of Liechtenstein

Edmunda was born on April 17, 1652, the daughter of Ferdinand Joseph, 3rd Prince of Dietrichstein-Nikolsburg and Princess Marie Elisabeth of Eggenberg. She married Prince Hans-Adam in 1681 and had seven children. She died on March 15, 1737, and was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

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Josef Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned June 16, 1712 – 1718
Regent December 16, 1732 – July 6, 1745
Reigned December 22, 1748 – February 10, 1772

Josef Wenzel I was born August 9, 1696, son of Prince Philip Erasmus of Liechtenstein and Christina Theresa von Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort. In 1718 he married his cousin, Princess Anna Marie Antonie of Liechtenstein. The couple had five children. Josef Wenzel reigned three different times, including thirteen years as regent for the young Prince Johann Nepomuk Karl.

Josef Wenzel I died on February 10, 1772. He was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Princess Anna Marie Antonie of Liechtenstein, Princess of Liechtenstein

Anna Marie Antonie was born September 11, 1699, the daughter of the future Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein and Countess Eleonore Barbara of Thun-Honenstein. She married her cousin Prince Josef Wenzel I in 1718 and they had five children, all of whom died in childhood.

Anna Marie Antonie died on January 20, 1753, and was buried in a crypt under the Pauline Church in Vienna. The crypt no longer exists and the tombs were not preserved.

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Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned 1718 – October 11, 1721

Anton Florian was born May 28, 1656, the son of Prince Hartmann of Liechtenstein and Countess Sidonie Elisabeth of Salm-Reifferscheidt. He married, on October 15, 1679, Countess Eleonore Barbara of Thun-Honenstein. The couple had eleven children. Anton was personally admitted to the Imperial Council of Princes in 1713. In 1719, the Holy Roman Emperor unified the domains of Schellenburg and Vaduz, formally establishing the Principality of Liechtenstein.

Anton Florian died on October 11, 1721, and was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Countess Eleonore Barbara of Thun-Hohenstein, Princess of Liechtenstein

Countess Eleonore, the daughter of Count Michael Oswald von Thun-Hohenstein, a chamberlain and advisor at the imperial court of the Holy Roman Empire, and Countess Elisabeth von Lodron, was born on May 4, 1661. She married Prince Anton Florian in 1679 and had eleven children. She died on Febuary 10, 1723, and was buried in a crypt under the Pauline Church in Vienna. The crypt no longer exists and the tombs were not preserved.

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Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned October 11, 1721 – December 16, 1732

Josef Johann Adam was born May 25, 1690, son of Prince Anton Florian and Countess Eleonore Barbara of Thun-Hohenstein.

He married four times:

  • Princess Maria Gabriele of Liechtenstein (third cousin and 1st wife of Josef Johann Adam, had one son who died in childhood)
  • Countess Marianne of Thun-Hohenstein (2nd wife of Josef Johann Adam, died twenty days after the wedding)
  • Countess Maria Anna Katharina of Oettingen-Spielberg (3rd wife of Josef Johann Adam, had five children, three died in childhood)
  • Countess Maria Anna Kottulinska von Kottulin (4th wife of Josef Johann Adam, had two children who died in childhood)

Josef Johann Adam died on December 16, 1732. He was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Princess Gabrielle of Liechtenstein, Princess of Liechtenstein
Princess Gabrielle was born July 12, 1692, the daughter of Hans-Adam I and Princess Edmunda Maria Theresia of Dietrichstein-Nikolsburg. She married Josef Johann Adam in 1712. They had one son who died in childhood. Gabrielle died in childbirth on November 7, 1713. She was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Countess Marianne of Thun-Hohenstein, Princess of Liechtenstein
Marianne, the only child of Johann Maximilian, Count von Thun-Hohenstein and Countess Maria Theresia Countess of Sternberg, was born on September 27, 1698. She married Josef Johann Adam on February 3, 1716, and died twenty days later on February 23, 1716. She was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Countess Maria Anna Katharina of Oettingen-Spielberg, Princess of Liechtenstein
Maria Anna was born September 12, 1693, the daughter of Count Franz Albrecht zu Oettingen-Spielberg and Johanna Margaretha von Schwendt. She married Josef Johann Adam on August 3, 1716, and they had three children. She died on April 15, 1729, and was buried at the Parish Church of St Nicholas at Glogów, in Silesia, now in Poland. The church was destroyed in 1945 and the tomb was not preserved.

Countess Maria Anna Kottulinska von Kottulin, Princess of Liechtenstein
The daughter of Franz Karl Kottulinsky, Baron von Kottulin and Krzizkowitz and Countess Maria Antonia von Rottal, Maria Anna was born on May 12, 1707. She married Josef Johann Adam in 1729 as his fourth, and final, wife. The couple had no children. She died on February 6, 1788. She was buried at St Mary’s Church in Vienna-Marianbrunn. The tomb has not been preserved.

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Johann Nepomuk Karl, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned December 16, 1732 – December 22, 1748

Johann Nepomuk Karl was born July 6, 1724, son of Johann Josef Anton and his 3rd wife, Maria Anna, Countess of Oettingen-Spielberg. He became Prince of Liechtenstein at the age of 8, upon the death of his father. A regency was established under Josef Wenzel I until Johann Nepomuk Karl turned 21. In 1744, he married his cousin, Maria Josfehina von Harrach. The couple had two daughters and a son who died in infancy.

Johann Nepomuk Karl died on December 22, 1748. He was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Countess Maria Josefa von Harrach-Rohrau, Princess of Liechtenstein

Maria Josefa was born November 20, 1727, the daughter of Count Friedrich August von Harrach-Rohrau and Princess Elenora of Liechtenstein, the daughter of Prince Anton Florian of Liechtenstein. She married Prince Johann Nepomuk Karl in 1744 and had two daughters and a son who died in infancy. She died February 15, 1788, having outlived her husband by nearly 40 years. She was buried at the Capuchin Church, Roudnice nad Laberm, now in the Czech Republic. The tomb has not been preserved.

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Franz Josef I, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned February 10, 1772 – August 18, 1781

Franz Josef I was born November 16, 1726, the son of Prince Emanuel of Liechtenstein and Maria Anna Countess of Dietrichstein-Weichselstädt. On July 6, 1750, he married Countess Maria Leopoldine of Sternberg. The couple had eight children.

Franz Josef I died August 18, 1781, and was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Countess Maria Leopoldine of Sternberg, Princess of Liechtenstein

Maria Leopoldine was born on December 11, 1733. She married Prince Franz Josef in 1750 and had eight children. After her husband’s death, she lived with one of her daughters in Vienna, Austria. She died on June 27, 1809, and was buried at St Andrew’s Church in Vienna-Hütteldorf.

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Alois I, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned August 18, 1781 – March 24, 1805

Unofficial Royalty: Alois I, Prince of Liechtenstein
Prince Alois I was born May 14, 1759, the third son of Franz Josef I and Countess Maria Leopoldine of Sternberg. He married Countess Karoline of Manderscheid-Blankenheim on November 15, 1783. The couple had no children.

Alois I died on March 24, 1805, and was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Countess Karoline of Manderscheid-Blankenheim, Princess of Liechtenstein

Karoline was born on November 14, 1768. She married Prince Alois I in 1783 but had no children. She died June 11, 1831, and is buried in the Hietzing Cemetery in Vienna.

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Johann I Josef, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned March 24, 1805 – April 20, 1836

Johann I Joseph was born June 26, 1760, the fourth son of Franz Josef I and Countess Maria Leopoldine of Sternberg. He married, on April 12, 1792, Landgravine Josefa of Fürstenberg-Weitra. The couple had fourteen children. Johann I Josef was the last Prince of Liechtenstein under the Holy Roman Empire, which ended in 1806. At that point, Napoleon incorporated Liechtenstein in the Confederation of the Rhine, making it a sovereign state, and Prince Johann I Josef the first Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein.

Prince Johann I Josef died on April 20, 1836. He was buried in the New Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Landgravine Josefa of Fürstenberg-Weitra, Princess of Liechtenstein

Josefa was born June 21, 1776, the daughter of Joachim Egon, Landgrave of Fürstenberg-Weitra, and Countess Sophie of Oettingen-Wallerstein. She married Prince Johann I Josef in 1792 and had fourteen children.

She died February 23, 1848, and was buried in the New Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

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Aloys II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned April 20, 1836 – November 12, 1858

Prince Alois II was born May 25, 1795, the eldest son of Johann I and Landgravine Josefa of Fürstenberg-Weitra. He married, on August 8, 1831, to Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. The couple had eleven children.

Prince Alois II died on November 12, 1858, and was buried in the New Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau, Princess of Liechtenstein

Franziska was born August 8, 1813, daughter of Count Franz Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau, and Countess Therese of Wrbna of Fredudenthal. She married Prince Alois II in 1831 and had eleven children. She died on February 5, 1881, and was buried in the New Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

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Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned November 12, 1858 – February 11, 1929

Johann II was born October 5, 1840, the eldest son of Alois II and Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. He was never married. Johann reigned as Sovereign Prince for 70 years, and 3 months, making him one of the longest reigning sovereigns. Under Johann II, Vaduz Castle in Liechtenstein was renovated and expanded, despite the fact that he never lived in the principality. It would, however, become the home of the Princely Family in 1938.

Prince Johann II died on February 11, 1929, and was buried in the New Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic.

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Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned February 11, 1929 – July 25, 1938

Prince Franz I was born August 28, 1853, the second son and youngest child of Prince Alois II and Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. He succeeded his brother Prince Johann II in 1929 at the age of 75. Five months later, on July 22, 1929, he married Elisabeth von Gutmann. They had no children.

Prince Franz I died on July 25, 1938, and was buried in the New Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic.

Elisabeth von Gutmann, Princess Elsa of Liechtenstein

Elisabeth von Gutmann, also known as Elsa, was born on January 8, 1875, the daughter of Wilhelm von Gutmann and Ida Wodianer. She was married previously to a Hungarian baron who died shortly after they married. She met the future Franz I in 1914 but his brother, the reigning Sovereign Prince, did not approve of the relationship so they were unable to marry. Once Franz succeeded to the throne, the couple married, on July 22, 1929.

Elsa, Princess of Liechtenstein died September 28, 1947, while living in Switzerland. After World War II the Communist government of Czechoslovakia seized the burial site in Vranov, Czechoslovakia. It was not possible for Elisabeth to be buried with her husband and so she was buried in the Princely Crypt at Vaduz Cathedral in Liechtenstein.

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Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Reigned July 25, 1938 – November 13, 1989

Franz Josef II was born August 16, 1906, son of Prince Aloys and Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria. He succeeded Prince Franz I, his first cousin twice removed, in 1938. On March 7, 1943, he married Countess Georgina von Wilczek. The couple had five children. Franz Josef II was the first sovereign prince to actually live in Liechtenstein, making his home at Vaduz Castle.

He died on November 13, 1989, less than a month after his wife. He is buried in the Princely Crypt at Vaduz Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

photo: Wikipedia

Countess Georgina (Gina) von Wilczek, Princess Gina of Liechtenstein

Countess Georgina von Wilczek was born October 24, 1921, the daughter of Ferdinand, Count of Wilczek and Countess Norbertine Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. She married Prince Franz Josef II in 1943 and had five children.

Gina, Princess of Liechtenstein, died on October 18, 1989. She is buried in the Princely Crypt at Vaduz Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

Tomb of Princess Gina; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Countess Marie Aglaë Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau, Princess Marie of Liechtenstein

Countess Marie Aglaë Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau was born on April 14, 1940, in Prague, Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic. She was the daughter of Count Ferdinand Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau and Countess Henriette Caroline of Ledebur-Wicheln.  Marie married her second cousin once removed Prince Hans-Adam II in 1965 and had four children.

After suffering a stroke three days earlier, Princess Marie died at a hospital in Grabs, Switzerland on August 21, 2021, at the age of 81. Princess Marie’s funeral was held at Vaduz Cathedral (also known as St. Florian Cathedral) in Vaduz, Liechtenstein on August 28, 2021, and she was buried in the Princely Crypt at Vaduz Cathedral.

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