Editing Vaduz (section)

==History==
{{See also|County of Vaduz}}

Vaduz is mentioned in historic 12th-century manuscripts as ''Faduzes''. In 1322 a mention of the [[Vaduz Castle|castle]] is made, which was sacked by the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] in 1499 during the [[Swabian War]]. The entire village was also destroyed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Vaduz |title=Vaduz &#124; Liechtenstein, Map, & History &#124; Britannica }}</ref>

In the 17th century the [[Princely Family of Liechtenstein|Liechtenstein family]] was seeking a seat in the Imperial diet, the ''[[Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)|Reichstag]]''. As they did not hold any territory that was directly under the Imperial throne they were unable to meet the primary requirement to qualify.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pages.uoregon.edu/dluebke/Reformations441/441ImperialPrimer.htm |title=441ImperialPrimer }}</ref>

The family yearned for the added power a seat in the Imperial government would bring, and therefore sought to acquire lands that would be ''[[reichsunmittelbar]]'', or held directly from the [[Holy Roman Emperor]] himself, without any intermediate feudal patronage. After some time, the family was able to arrange the purchase of the minuscule [[Lordship of Schellenberg|''Herrschaft'' ("Lordship") of]] [[Schellenberg]] and the [[County of Vaduz|countship of Vaduz]] (in 1699 and 1712, respectively) from the Hohenems. Tiny Schellenberg and Vaduz possessed exactly the political status required: no feudal lord other than the Emperor.{{cn|date=October 2022}}

Thereby, on 23 January 1719, after the purchase had been duly made, [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor]], decreed Vaduz and Schellenberg were united, and raised to the dignity of ''Fürstentum'' (''[[principality]]'') with the name "Liechtenstein" in honour of "[his] true servant, [[Anton Florian of Liechtenstein]]". It is on this date that Liechtenstein became a sovereign member state of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. As testimony to the pure political expediency of the purchases, the Princes of Liechtenstein did not set foot in their new principality for over 120 years.{{cn|date=October 2022}}