# Balzers

Balzers (German pronunciation: ) is a municipality and village located in southern Liechtenstein. In 2019, the village had a population of 4,642. The main part of the village is situated along the east bank of the Rhine.

## History and culture

Historically, the present-day form of the village consists of two different villages, the actual Balzers in the east and Mäls in the west. Not visible to the unaware, the division still persists in the local village culture, where it manifests in half-serious local competition. Some customs, such as the "Funken", a springtime ritual with pre-Christian origins involving a huge bonfire, are still being practised by each separately. The location was first mentioned in 842 as Palazoles. The name originates from Latin palatiola, meaning small palace.
Balzers is the home of the Gutenberg Castle, which was built around 1200 on a rocky hill between Balzers and Mäls.
On 7 April 2014, the manager of the Frick & Co. Bank, Jürgen Frick, was shot and killed in a parking garage in the town. The shooter, Jürgen Hermann, was found dead afterwards, having shot himself in the head. The event was noteworthy due to Liechtenstein's extremely low crime rate.

## Administration

Balzers is locally administered by the mayor and a 10-person municipal council, elected every four years since 1975. The incumbent mayor is Karl Marlin, since 2023.

### List of mayors (1864–present)

List of mayors (1864–present) :
| Name | Term | Party |
| Franz Anton Kaufmann | 1864–1865 | — |
| Johann Georg Büchel | 1865–1867 | — |
| Franz Wolfinger | 1867–1870 | — |
| Baptist Fritsche | 1870–1873 | — |
| Johann Baptist Frick | 1873–1876 | — |
| Johann Georg Vogt | 1876–1879 | — |
| Baptist Johann Fritsche | 1879–1879 | — |
| Franz Vogt | 1879–1882 | — |
| Josef Isidor Brunhart | 1882–1885 | — |
| Christian Brunhart | 1885–1888 | — |
| Josef Isidor Brunhart | 1888–1891 | — |
| Christian Brunhart | 1891–1894 | — |
| Josef Isidor Brunhart | 1894–1897 | — |
| Heinrich Brunhart | 1897–1900 | — |
| Elias Vogt | 1900–1903 | — |
| Heinrich Brunhart | 1903–1912 | — |
| Emil Wolfinger | 1912–1918 | — |
| Gebhard Brunhart | 1918–1927 | FBP |
| Basil Vogt | 1927–1936 | CSVP |
| Georg Vogt | 1936–1939 | FBP |
| Alois Willie | 1939–1945 | VU |
| Fidel Brunhart | 1945–1960 | FBP |
| Walter Brunhart | 1960–1966 | VU |
| Emanuel Vogt | 1966–1987 | FBP |
| Othmar Vogt | 1987–2003 | VU |
| Anton Eberle | 2003–2011 | FBP |
| Arthur Brunhart | 2011–2015 | VU |
| Hansjörg Büchel | 2015–2023 | FBP |
| Karl Marlin | 2023– | VU |

## Transport
### Heliport

Balzers has a heliport available for charter flights (IATA: -, ICAO: LSXB) (47°04′05″N 9°28′52″E﻿ / ﻿47.06812°N 9.48118°E﻿ / 47.06812; 9.48118﻿ (Balzers heliport)). The heliport has no border-control facilities; therefore, the only flights permitted to use it are those heading to and from elsewhere within the Schengen Area.
| Aircraft | Year implemented | Type | In service | Role |
| Ecureuil AS 350 | 2005, 2008, and 2012 | B3 | 3 | Used for transporting people |
| Guimbal Cabri G2 | 2011 | | 1 | Purchased for a new pilot training program, started April 2011 |
| Kaman K-Max | 2006 | 1200 | 1 | Used for transporting cargo |

## Economy
### Oerlikon Balzers

The headquarters of the major thin film coating, solar and vacuum technology company Oerlikon Balzers is located in Balzers.

## Notable people

* Xaver Frick (1913 in Balzers – 2009) Olympic track and field athlete and cross-country skier. He competed in track sprinting events in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and cross-country skiing at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. Frick is the only Liechtenstein athlete to date to have competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. He was awarded a Golden Laurel in 2003 by the government of Liechtenstein for outstanding contributions to sport.
* Andrea Willi (born 1955) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993–2001).
* Christine Wohlwend (born 1978), politician.