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Liechtenstein's Royal Artifacts Go on Display at Family Palace

Prince Hans-Adam’s (left) and Crown Prince Alois have inherited wealth that originates from the 12th century and bigger than that of Queen Elizabeth. (Reuters)
Prince Hans-Adam’s (left) and Crown Prince Alois have inherited wealth that originates from the 12th century and bigger than that of Queen Elizabeth. (Reuters)
    Vienna, London - Asharq Al-Awsat
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Liechtenstein's Royal Artifacts Go on Display at Family Palace

Prince Hans-Adam’s (left) and Crown Prince Alois have inherited wealth that originates from the 12th century and bigger than that of Queen Elizabeth. (Reuters)
Prince Hans-Adam’s (left) and Crown Prince Alois have inherited wealth that originates from the 12th century and bigger than that of Queen Elizabeth. (Reuters)

The small Principality of Liechtenstein celebrates its third centennial anniversary this year. On this occasion, 110 artifacts selected from a treasure including 1700 paintings and tens of thousands other items will be displayed in Vienna, Austria.

The Liechtenstein family is one of Europe's wealthiest noble families, and its assets include a huge artistic treasure that is not usually offered to the general public.

Liechtenstein princes have been collecting artifacts for over four centuries. This remarkable period is displayed at the Albertina Museum, where the bust of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius welcomes visitors.

Other works include a surrealist portrait of painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, which is a complex fusion of different animals.

"We stopped collecting contemporary art at the end of the 19th century," Prince Alois, the heir of Liechtenstein's throne, told Austrian television in Albertina.

The paintings are usually shown at the Royal Family Palace in Vienna known for its historic interior golden design, rather than under museum conditions.

According to the German News Agency, Alois's ancestors lived in Vienna until the Nazis took control of Austria in 1938. They then settled in Liechtenstein, a small country between Austria and Switzerland.

The Liechtenstein family, after which the principality has been named, has a wealth that includes a private bank as well as forestry and industrial investments.

Hans-Adam II, the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, started the costly refurbishment of the palace and the family-owned palace in Vienna to showcase its art collection, but he declared the museum palace closed in 2011 because he was disappointed with the number of visitors. The palace located in the city center was completed without being opened to the public.

Visitors can still see interior design in guided tours a few times a month. Those who are willing to pay more can get an exclusive entry on a private tour for 250 euros ($282), or spend several thousand euros to book a private party or wedding at the former royal palace.

The "Rubens to Makart Liechtenstein, The Princely Collections" exhibition will run in Albertina until June 10.

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Truck Driver's Body Recovered from Huge Japan Sinkhole after 3 Months

Firefighters guard a vehicle carrying the body believed to be that of a male truck driver, found in a sewage pipe near the site of a road collapse that occurred on January 28, in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture on May 2, 2025. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP)
Firefighters guard a vehicle carrying the body believed to be that of a male truck driver, found in a sewage pipe near the site of a road collapse that occurred on January 28, in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture on May 2, 2025. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP)
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Truck Driver's Body Recovered from Huge Japan Sinkhole after 3 Months

Firefighters guard a vehicle carrying the body believed to be that of a male truck driver, found in a sewage pipe near the site of a road collapse that occurred on January 28, in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture on May 2, 2025. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP)
Firefighters guard a vehicle carrying the body believed to be that of a male truck driver, found in a sewage pipe near the site of a road collapse that occurred on January 28, in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture on May 2, 2025. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP)

Japanese rescuers have recovered the body of a truck driver who was swallowed by a huge sinkhole near Tokyo three months ago, an official said on Friday.

A road in the city of Yashio caved in during morning rush hour in late January while the 74-year-old man was driving his lorry on it.

The sinkhole, which was caused by corroded sewerage pipes, was reportedly 16 meters (52 feet) deep in February.

The search operation was hindered by unstable ground, which raised the risk of the chasm collapsing further and prevented rescuers from approaching the area where the driver was believed to be buried, AFP reported.

Since then the hole has grown to at least 40 metres across, almost the length of an Olympic swimming pool.

A slope later allowed rescuers to send heavy equipment into the hole while 1.2 million residents were asked to temporarily cut back on showers and laundry to prevent leaking sewage from hindering the operation.

Walls were built to ensure safety, regional officials told AFP.

"We discovered a man inside the truck cabin and confirmed his death, then passed the incident to police," a spokesman for the local fire department said Friday.

A police spokesman said investigations were under way, including officially confirming the body's identity.

"Until the very end of his life, my father, who had a strong heart, must have been hoping to come home alive -- fighting fear and pain -- which makes me feel a tightening in my heart," a family member of the unnamed driver said in a statement to Japanese media.

"I can't believe or accept the fact that my father, who was loved by everyone, suddenly disappeared," the statement said.

The number of sinkholes in Japan is rising, topping 10,000 in fiscal 2022. Many of these are sewerage-related in urban areas, a land ministry probe shows.