Josef Hoop

Franz Josef Hoop (German: [ˈfʁants ˈjoːzɛf ˈhoːp]; 14 December 1895 – 19 October 1959) was a diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1928 to 1945. A member of the Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP), he later served as the President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 1958 until his death in 1959.

Hoop initially worked as the attaché and chargé d'affaires at the Liechtenstein legation in Vienna and then in the Swiss customs administration before being elected as prime minister following the 1928 general election. In his first years in office, he oversaw Liechtenstein's response to the Great Depression through economic programs. Starting from 1933, his government faced numerous domestic and foreign challenges, such as the Rotter kidnapping, the 1937 spy affair, and the 1939 putsch. In 1938, his government entered into a coalition government with the opposition Patriotic Union (VU). During World War II, Hoop considered friendly, non-binding, and non-provocative diplomacy to be appropriate towards Nazi Germany, supplemented by courtesy gestures. At the same time, he tied the country as closely as possible to Switzerland and successfully maintained the country's neutrality throughout the war. He was pressured to resign by Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein in 1945.

Following his resignation, Hoop studied law and then worked as a lawyer in Vaduz beginning in 1948. He returned to politics in 1957 when he was elected to the Landtag of Liechtenstein, for which he was also the president from 1958 to 1959. A habitual smoker throughout his adult life, Hoop died due to heart failure in 1959. His services to Liechtenstein, particularly during World War II, were widely recognized, with Franz Joseph II saying in retrospect that "Hoop saved the country".

Hoop was born in Eschen on 14 December 1895 to Franz Josef Hoop, a farmer and deputy member of the Landtag of Liechtenstein, and Berta (née Batliner); he was one of nine children. He attended high school in Feldkirch, Austria, and for a short time afterwards attended school in Zürich. After finishing his schooling there, Hoop took up post-secondary education at the University of Innsbruck, where he devoted himself to the study of Oriental languages. He graduated in 1920 with a Doctor of Philosophy.

Hoop served as the attaché and chargé d'affaires at the Liechtenstein legation in Vienna, headed by Prince Eduard of Liechtenstein, from 1920 to 1923. He worked towards the removal of visa requirements for Austrian citizens in Liechtenstein in 1922. He also raised concerns over the low wages of the legation's staff, which he argued were not sufficient for them to properly feed and clothe themselves. He became a member of the Historical Association for the Principality of Liechtenstein [de] in 1921.

As early as 1920, plans were made to close the Liechtenstein legation in Vienna and have Switzerland represent Liechtenstein diplomatically, but the closure was repeatedly delayed by complaints. On 7 February 1923, Hoop wrote to the princely cabinet that he had raised the issue with Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alfred Grünberger, who reportedly saw no reason to close the legation; Hoop added that he believed the closure would negatively affect relations with Austria. In response, Prime Minister Gustav Schädler criticized Hoop for overstepping his position, while pointing out that the Austrian government had already agreed to the closure of the legation, of which Hoop was unaware at the time; the legation was finally closed later that year. After the closure, Hoop remained unemployed for nearly a year. From 1924 to 1928, he worked for the Swiss customs administration in Geneva and St. Gallen. He lived in the capital of Vaduz from 1928 onward.

Hoop served as the third Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 4 August 1928 to 3 September 1945. As the result of an embezzlement scandal, Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein forced the government of Gustav Schädler to resign in June 1928 and called for early elections. The subsequent 1928 general election was won by the Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP), at which point the Landtag recommended Hoop's appointment as prime minister.

Upon taking office, Hoop's government was responsible for continued economic recovery following the 1927 Rhine flood, and starting in 1929, it was faced with the effects of the Great Depression: rising unemployment, a collapse in industry, and lower livestock sales due to deflation. The economic struggles of the Depression led to periodic demonstrations by workers between 1931 to 1934, primarily organized by the Liechtenstein Workers' Association, which succeeded in convincing Hoop's government to initiate numerous public works projects to create jobs.