A look inside

A plaque in the lobby commemorates Reigning Prince Johann II: "Built under the reign of His Serene Highness Reigning Prince Johann II in the years 1903 to 1905". An elegant stucco-adorned staircase leads up to the second floor, where it ends with a domed vault. The staircase is completed by a wrought-iron banister and brass lamps decorated with palmettes and milk-coloured glass spheres.

The tall, round-arched glass windows in the stairwell were made in 1905 by the Tiroler Glasmalerei und Mosaik Anstalt. The cathedral glazing is decorated with coats of arms and inscriptions, commemorating the rulers before Liechtenstein was founded: first, the Counts of Montfort-Werdenberg Sargans zu Vaduz; second, the Lords of Schellenberg; third, the Barons of Brandis; fourth, the Counts of Sulz zu Vaduz; fifth, the Counts of Hohenems zu Vaduz. The foundation of the Principality of Liechtenstein is depicted with the Princely House's coat of arms.

The representative heart of the Government Building is the former Parliament Chamber. Reigning Prince Johann II commissioned Viennese artists to design its furnishings: the sculptor Josef Beyer and the painters Eduard Gerisch, Rudolf Sagmeister, Maria Schöffmann, and Raimund von Stillfried. The works are a testimony to the Reigning Prince's traditional conception of art, set in the context of the intellectual and artistic currents in Vienna around 1900.

Starting on the south side, from left to right, the story of the Principality of Liechtenstein is told. It begins with the coats of arms of the Counts of Werdenberg and the Barons of Brandis, followed by the Counts of Sulz and the Counts of Hohenems. In between is the national coat of arms under the Princely crown. The coat of arms of the Counts of Hohenems is followed by the portraits of the Reigning Princes of Liechtenstein. These include four full-length portraits, indicating their reigns, of the Reigning Princes Johann Adam I (1699-1712), Anton Florian (1718-1721), Josef Wenzel (1712-1718, 1732-1745, and 1748-1772), and Johann I (1805-1836), along with five further bust portraits of Reigning Princes, likewise indicating their reigns. The bust of Reigning Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein is centrally located on the north side in a palmette-framed niche above a palmette-decorated console. He holds a scroll in his right hand and his cloak in his left.

The Media Room is located in the central nave of the top floor of the Government Building. Several structural and technical enhancements were carried out during the 2020/2021 renovation. All the audio and media technology is now state of the art. Media conferences are held here and can be broadcast live (National Television Channel or as a live stream on www.landeskanal.li).

The redesign also introduced video conference facilities. The entire lighting technology of the room has been upgraded, and lighting has been optimised for camera and video transmission.

To ensure the representative appearance of the room, the podium and parts of the panelling were removed, and the room was given a completely new material and colour concept.

The basement of the Government Building contains archive, technical, and storage rooms. A peculiarity is the large vault in the northern part of the basement. It was originally built for the Landschäftliche Sparkasse savings bank, now the Liechtensteinische Landesbank. Given that the prison and detention cells were likewise housed in the Government Building, the vault probably also served as an armoury and evidence room.

The decision by the Liechtenstein Parliament and Government to construct the Government Building demonstrated foresight and courage. For half a century, the building provided a central location for almost all the State authorities and the National Administration. Even the Landschäftliche Sparkasse was housed in the Government Building until 1953.

Until the last major renovation in 1991, the Government Building also housed the country's only prison. The detention cells of the penitentiary were located in the basement and on the ground floor of the new Government Building. This prominent location underscored the proximity to the power of the State. In 1991, the National Prison was moved to the new police building on the southern edge of Vaduz, now with 22 detention cells.