The Princely Family of Lichtenstein

Since 1396, much of what would later go on to become Lichtenstein has been under the direct control of the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1719, the HolyRoman Emperor Charles VI united Schalenburg and Vaduz in this area as a principality. But unlike so many other tiny nations that made up the Holy Roman Empire, this one actually stood the test of time. Napoleon reorganized much of it into the new confederation of the Rhine. The princes of this new principality didn't even bother visiting it for over a century,. which goes to show it was just really a political excuse to empower the Lichtenstein family.