Johann I Josef, Prince of Liechtenstein

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Johann I Josef, Prince of Liechtenstein (June 26, 1760 - April 20, 1836) was the tenth prince of Liechtenstein between 1805 and 1806 and again from 1814 until 1836. He was the last Liechtenstein prince to rule under the Holy Roman Empire between 1805 and 1806 and as regent of Liechtenstein from 1806 until 1814. He was the fourth son of Franz Josef I of Liechtenstein.

Johann chose a military career at age 22 and entered the army a lieutenant. He was a colonel by the Turkish Wars eight years later. Johann was prominent in the Napoleonic Wars, during which he was promoted to field marshal and given supreme command of the Austrian Army. He commanded Austrian forces at the Battle of Austerlitz. Later on he was also in charge of peace talks with Napoleon concluding the Peace of Pressburg (1805) and the Peace of Schönbrunn (1809). Both of these treaties were very favourable to Napoleon and hard on Austria and Johann was accused of having little diplomatic skill and to escape criticism he resigned from the military in 1810.

As Prince of Liechtenstein, Johann made forward-thinking reforms, but also had an absolutist governing style. In 1818 he granted a constitution, although it was limited in its nature. He expanded agriculture and forestry and radically reorganized his administration, in an attempt to take the requirements of what was then a modern estate into account. He proved a trendsetter in the area of garden art by planting Biedermeier gardens and park landscapes in an English model.

In 1806 Napoleon incorporated Liechtenstein in the Confederation of the Rhine and made it a sovereign state. At the Vienna Congress the sovereignty of Liechtenstein was approved. Liechtenstein became a member of the German Confederation in 1815. This membership confirmed Liechtenstein’s sovereignty.

On April 12, 1792, he married Josepha Sophie von Furstenberg-Weitra (21 June 1776 - 23 February 1848). They had 15 children:


Johann I Josef, Prince of Liechtenstein
Born: 26 June 1760 Died: 20 April 1836
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Alois I		 Prince of Liechtenstein
1805 – 1836		 Succeeded by
Alois II