Editing Liechtenstein (section)

=== Foundation of a dynasty ===
{{More sources|subsection|date=April 2025}}
By 1200, dominions across the Alpine plateau were controlled by the Houses of [[House of Savoy|Savoy]], [[Zähringer]], [[Habsburg]], and [[House of Kyburg|Kyburg]]. Other regions were accorded the [[Imperial immediacy]] that granted the empire direct control over the mountain passes. When the Kyburg dynasty fell in 1264, the Habsburgs under [[Rudolph I of Germany|King Rudolph I]], the Holy Roman Emperor in 1273, extended their territory to the eastern Alpine plateau that included the territory of Liechtenstein.<ref name = Nationsencyclopedia /> This region was [[Feoffment|enfeoffed]] to the [[Hohenems|Counts of Hohenems]] until the sale to the [[Liechtenstein dynasty]] in 1699.

In 1396, [[Vaduz]], the southern region of Liechtenstein, gained [[imperial immediacy]], i.e. it became subject to the Holy Roman Emperor alone.<ref name="Eccardt 2005 176">{{Cite book |last=Eccardt |first=Thomas |title=Secrets of the Seven Smallest States of Europe |date=2005 |publisher=Hippocrene Books |isbn=978-0-7818-1032-6 |pages=176}}</ref>

The family from which the principality takes its name originally came from [[Liechtenstein Castle]] in Lower Austria, which they had possessed since at least 1140 until the 13th century, and again from 1807 onwards. The Liechtensteins acquired land, predominantly in [[Moravia]], [[Lower Austria]], [[Silesia]], and [[Duchy of Styria|Styria]]. As these territories were all held in [[Fee (feudal tenure)|feudal tenure]] from more senior feudal lords, particularly various branches of the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburgs]], the Liechtenstein dynasty was unable to meet a primary requirement to qualify for a seat in the Imperial Diet (parliament), the {{lang|de|[[Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)|Reichstag]]}}. Even though several Liechtenstein princes served several Habsburg rulers as close advisers, without any territory held directly from the Imperial throne, they held little power in the Holy Roman Empire.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

For this reason, the family sought to acquire lands that would be classed as {{lang|de|unmittelbar}}, or held without any intermediate feudal tenure, directly from the [[Holy Roman Emperor]]. During the early 17th century, [[Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein|Karl I of Liechtenstein]] was made a {{lang|de|Fürst}} (prince) by the Holy Roman Emperor [[Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor|Matthias]] after siding with him in a political battle.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Vaduz-Vienna |first=LIECHTENSTEIN The Princely Collections |title=Prince Karl I von Liechtenstein |url=https://www.liechtensteincollections.at/en/princes/prince-karl-i-von-liechtenstein |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=17th century {{!}} Das Fürstenhaus von Liechtenstein |url=https://fuerstenhaus.li/en/die-biographien-aller-fuersten/17-century/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Susan |date=2021-11-20 |title=Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein |url=https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-i-prince-of-liechtenstein/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Unofficial Royalty |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein|Hans-Adam I]] was allowed to purchase the minuscule [[Lordship of Schellenberg|{{lang|de|Herrschaft|nocat=y}} ('Lordship') of Schellenberg]] and the [[county of Vaduz]] (in 1699 and 1712, respectively) from the Hohenems. Tiny Schellenberg and Vaduz had exactly the political status required: no feudal superior ([[suzerain]]) other than the emperor.<ref name=":0" />