Europa – Bridges

The “Alte Rheinbrücke Vaduz” (Old Rhine Bridge Vaduz) and the “Fussgängerbrücke Balzers“ (Balzers Footbridge) (face value: CHF 1.50 each) are adorning Liechtenstein’s Europa stamps this year. Member states of the trade association PostEurop, which represents European public postal operators, issue stamps on a common theme every year. The theme in 2018 is bridges.

On the stamp showing Balzers footbridge, he captured the snow-capped, 2,562-metre-high Falknis mountain in the background.

The Old Rhine Bridge Vaduz used to serve as the main route connecting Liechtenstein’s main town Vaduz and neighbouring Switzerland. It is 135 metres long and is the last wooden bridge still intact that crosses the Alpine Rhine. Originally built in 1870/71 and reconstructed on the pillars of the previous bridge in 1900/01, it was completely renovated for the last time in 2009/10. On this special stamp Vaduz Castle can be seen on the opposite side of the valley from between the massive pillars of the listed structure.

Bridges bring together II

The Principality of Liechtenstein and its neighbour Switzerland are joined by several bridges over the Rhine, the border river. In the second part of the “Bridges bring together” series Philately Liechtenstein turns its attention to the “Foot and Cycle Bridge” (CHF 0.85) “Buchs-Schaan“ (CHF 1.00) and also the “Rhine Bridge” (CHF 1.40) “Bendern-Haag“ (CHF 1.90).

Until well into the 19th century the Rhine could be crossed only on ferries. These crossings were not without danger: in 1587 85 people from Werdenberg drowned in a ferry accident on the way home after a pilgrimage to the Church of St. Mary in Bendern. In 1868 the first bridge was built at the Rhine crossing between Bendern (Liechtenstein) and Haag (Switzerland). It was burned down in 1894, whereupon a new wooden bridge was erected in 1896. This one collapsed in 1974 after another fire. Fortunately the concrete bridge of today depicted on the commemoratives was built in 1965, so that the transport link between the two countries operated without interruption at the time of the disaster.

Since the spring of 2009 pedestrians and cyclists in the Rhine local recreation area have enjoyed an attractive link between Schaan (Liechtenstein) and Buchs (Switzerland). The 132-metres long bridge weighing 120 tonnes is suspended over the water on two transversely positioned steel pylons. The bridge itself is, so to speak, a welcome spinoff from a much larger construction project, for it represents the visible heart of an otherwise underground steam pipeline. This just six kilometres long pipeline supplies three industrial undertakings in Liechtenstein with process steam from the refuse incineration plant in Buchs. The annual supply of some 100 tonnes of steam is equivalent to about 12 million litres of heating oil and contributes every year to the avoidance of 20,000 tonnes of CO2.

Source: Liechtenstein Post

Stamp Issue: 2014.03.10

Bridges bring together

It is not yet 150 years since Liechtenstein and Switzerland, the two countries separated by the Rhine as border-marking river, were first brought together by shared bridges.

Before that people and goods were conveyed between the Liechtenstein and Swiss banks of the Rhine by ferries, five of which were still operating at the beginning of the 19th century. Only after physical structures controlling the course of the Rhine had been put in place was it possible in 1867-68 to build the first wooden bridges, at that time still uncovered, between Bendern and Haag and between Schaan and Buchs. The first part of the “Bridges bring together” series illustrates in greater detail two of these bridges, which have since been a characterizing feature of the Rhine valley.

The “Old Rhine bridge” (CHF 0.85) between Vaduz and Sevelen (“Vaduz-Sevelen”, face value CHF 1.00), which used to be the main link between Vaduz and neighbouring Switzerland, was built in 1870-1871. After it had had to be raised twice in the following years, in 1900-1901 it was re-built on the piers of its predecessor. Since the mid 1970s the Old Rhine bridge has been accessible only to non-motorized traffic.

The last major renovation was completed in 2010. The “Railway bridge” (face value CHF 1.40) between “Schaan-Buchs” (face value CHF 1.90), which later became a subsection of the famous “Orient Express”, was first crossed in 1872 by a train drawn by a steam locomotive belonging to the “Vorarlberg Railway”. In the devastating flood disaster of 1927 the section of the bridge on the Liechtenstein side plunged into the water. In 1934-35 the present-day 190-metre-long steel bridge was erected on the river pier of the collapsed bridge. The stamps’ face designs are based on photographs by Bruno Kopfli from Eschen.

Source: Liechtenstein Post

Stamp Issue: 2013.06.03

25th Anniversary of CEPT - Liechtenstein

In 1984 CEPT (Conference Europeenne des Administrations des Postes et des Telecomunications) celebretes its 25th annversary. The CEPT was formed in 1959 in Montreux in Switzerland and it is an organization at administrative level.

The CEPT member countries issue EUROPA stamps every year with a common theme. For the 25th anniversary they also have the same motif: a bridge symbolizing communications, exchange and connection.

Stamp Issue: 1984-03-12