The team of Luxarazzi wishes all our dear readers a Happy New Year, may you have a wonderful year ahead of you and remain faithful to us during 2014. We have two action-packed years behind us which included no less than four weddings and two births in the Grand Ducal Family alone. While the new year looks to become a little calmer, we can always hope for a few surprises - babies, engagements, unexpectedly large celebrations for a silver throne jubilee - to spice up things up a little. To start the new year in style, here's a little something for you...
...a snippet from the New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic which took place earlier today. For a few years now, the concert includes performances of the dancers of the Vienna State Opera Ballet which are filmed at some of Vienna's most famous landmarks, this time around at the newly renovated Stadtpalais Liechtenstein. I would love to share the entire concert as there were a few performances at the stunningly beautiful city palace owned by the Princely Family but the videos by the TV stations are geo-blocked. As the concert was broadcasted in 92 countries, you might want to check out your local broadcaster though.
During his new year's interview, Prince Hans-Adam II told Radio Liechtenstein that he is very delighted and proud that he managed to have the restauration and renovations of the Stadtpalais done within his lifetime. His father, the late Prince Franz Josef II, didn't think that it would ever be possible to restore the palace to what it looked like before it was badly damaged towards the end of World War II. The Prince also stated that he is a little sad that his parents never got to see the Stadtpalais in all its splendour again. He also revealed that he would not attend the concert in person but prefers to watch it on television so that he can also see the ballet performances.
The entire new year's interview with Prince Hans-Adam is about half an hour long and can be listened to on the website of Radio Liechtenstein. For the most part, the Prince talks matters of state and such but towards the end, there are a few interesting tidbits about the former possession of the Princely Family in the Czech Republic.
As you may recall, the Prince of Liechtenstein as well as 37 other Liechtenstein citizens lost their Czechoslovakian properties on the basis of the Beneš decrees after the end of the Second World War. Only in 2009, the Czech Republic and Liechtenstein formed official diplomatic relations and a year later a historical commission was installed by the two countries. Even though their final report hasn't been published yet, it seems that even the Czech part of the commission believes that the time has come for some sort of compromise.
While Prince Hans-Adam told that he still believes the expropriation to be unlawful, he would be open to a compromise. He adds that it might even benefit the Czech Republic who owns most of the properties now as the Princely Family would be willing to invest in both the agricultural and forest land as well as the historical buildings. Apparently, the former estates now owned by the Czech state are currently unprofitable. For the Prince, a compromise would either include restitution or compensation. Any decision, however, should keep all dispossessed Liechtenstein citizens in mind.
Source: Radio Liechtenstein
The entire new year's interview with Prince Hans-Adam is about half an hour long and can be listened to on the website of Radio Liechtenstein. For the most part, the Prince talks matters of state and such but towards the end, there are a few interesting tidbits about the former possession of the Princely Family in the Czech Republic.
As you may recall, the Prince of Liechtenstein as well as 37 other Liechtenstein citizens lost their Czechoslovakian properties on the basis of the Beneš decrees after the end of the Second World War. Only in 2009, the Czech Republic and Liechtenstein formed official diplomatic relations and a year later a historical commission was installed by the two countries. Even though their final report hasn't been published yet, it seems that even the Czech part of the commission believes that the time has come for some sort of compromise.
While Prince Hans-Adam told that he still believes the expropriation to be unlawful, he would be open to a compromise. He adds that it might even benefit the Czech Republic who owns most of the properties now as the Princely Family would be willing to invest in both the agricultural and forest land as well as the historical buildings. Apparently, the former estates now owned by the Czech state are currently unprofitable. For the Prince, a compromise would either include restitution or compensation. Any decision, however, should keep all dispossessed Liechtenstein citizens in mind.
Source: Radio Liechtenstein
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