Origins of the Liechtenstein People

The Liechtenstein people appear to come from a mixed stock, some from Rätic peoples from the higher alpine areas to the South of the area, some from Alemanic stock from the area around Lake Constance and Southern Germany and Austria.

Being on a major and historic highway through the Alps, Liechtensteiners can also trace their origins back to Italy and Rome, to Southern Europe in general, and to Northern Europe too. The people of the villages of Triesenberg and Planken also have origins in Western Switzerland, namely in Canton Wallis, the original home of the Walser people found there, and further East in Austria, especially the Gross Walsertal (greater Walser valley).

In more recent years, Germans, Italians, Spaniards, and Swiss have settled in the country. Foreigners now account for almost half of the population of Liechtenstein.