{{Short description|Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1970 to 1974}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Alfred Hilbe | honorific_suffix = | order1 = | office1 = Prime Minister of Liechtenstein | term_start1 = 18 March 1970 | term_end1 = 27 March 1974 | deputy1 = Walter Kieber | monarch1 = Franz Joseph II | predecessor1 = Gerard Batliner | successor1 = Walter Kieber | birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|7|22|df=y}} | birth_place = Gmunden, Austria | death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|10|31|1928|7|22|df=y}} | death_place = Feldkirch, Austria | party = Patriotic Union | spouse = {{marriage|Virginia Hilbe|1951}} | image = Alfred Hilbe (cropped).jpg | office2 = Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein | monarch2 = Franz Joseph II | prime_minister2 = Gerard Batliner | term_start2 = 16 June 1965 | term_end2 = 18 March 1970 | successor2 = Walter Kieber | predecessor2 = Josef Büchel | caption = Hilbe in 1974 | children = 1 }} '''Alfred Hilbe''' ({{IPA|de|ˈalfʁeːt ˈhɪlbə}}; 22 July 1928 – 31 October 2011) was a politician from Liechtenstein who served as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1970 to 1974. He previously served as Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1965 to 1970, under the government of Gerard Batliner.
== Early life == Hilbe was born in Gmunden, Austria, as the son of Franz Hilbe and Elisabeth Glatz. He attended high school in Vaduz and Zurich. Hilbe enrolled in the École libre des sciences politiques in Paris, where he received a diploma in 1950. From 1950 to 1951, he studied economics in Innsbruck.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=31 December 2011 |title=Hilbe, Alfred |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Hilbe,_Alfred |access-date=11 May 2023 |website=Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein}}</ref>
Starting from 1954, he worked in the private sector and in the Liechtenstein embassy in Bern.<ref name=":0" /> He was a secretary at the Liechtenstein embassy in Bern, run by Prince Heinrich Hartneid of Liechtenstein.<ref name=":1" />
== Prime Minister of Liechtenstein == [[File:Die neu gewählte Regierung bestehend aus William Hoop, Walter Kieber, Regierungschef Alfred Hilbe, Cyrill Büchel und Andreas Vogt.jpg|thumb|Hilbe (centre) with his government in March 1974]] Hilbe was the Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1965 to 18 March 1970 under Gerard Batliner, and then Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 18 March 1970 to 27 March 1974.<ref name="officehistory2">{{Cite web |title=Mitglieder der Regierung des Fürstentums Liechtenstein 1862-2021 |url=https://www.regierung.li/files/attachments/Regierungsmitglieder-1862-2021-stand-0421.pdf?t=638338392447228367 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216125957/https://www.regierung.li/files/attachments/Regierungsmitglieder-1862-2021-stand-0421.pdf?t=638338392447228367 |archive-date=16 February 2024 |access-date=15 February 2024 |website=www.regierung.li}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=18 March 1970 |title=Heute: Vereidigung der neuen Regierung |url=https://www.eliechtensteinensia.li/viewer/image/000476564_1970/461/LOG_0045/ |access-date=10 November 2024 |work=Liechtensteiner Volksblatt |language=de}}</ref> His party Patriotic Union won the 1970 Liechtenstein general election with 49.57% of the vote, making it the first time it had held a majority since its formation in 1936 and Hilbe was appointed to serve as prime minister.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 February 1970 |title=Liechtenstein's Voters End 32-Year Coalition |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/02/02/archives/liechtensteins-voters-end-32year-coalition.html |access-date=16 May 2023 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Marxer |first=Wilfried |date=31 December 2011 |title=Patriotic Union (VU) |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Vaterländische_Union_%28VU%29 |access-date=14 May 2023 |website=Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein |language=de}}</ref>
During his term in office, he pioneered reforms of Liechtenstein's school system and efforts to address women's suffrage in Liechtenstein via two separate referendums on the topic in 1971 and 1973, though unsuccessful. In addition, his term included the reopening of the Liechtenstein National Museum and the extension of a free trade agreement between Switzerland and the European Economic Community to Liechtenstein in 1972.<ref name=":0" />
== Later life == From 1974, Hilbe became an honorary member of the Patriotic Union and a self-employed financial consultant in Vaduz and Schaan. He was also the president of the board of directors at the old age and survivors’ insurance from 1974 to 1978. From 1965 to 1995 he was a member of the press association for the ''Liechtensteiner Vaterland''.<ref name=":0" />
From 1980 to 1982, and again from 1988 to 1990, he was the president of the Switzerland–Liechtenstein society. He was also president of the Liechtenstein tennis association. He was made an honorary member of the Switzerland–Liechtenstein society in 2000.<ref name=":0" />
== Personal life == Hilbe married Virginia Joseph (born 14 July 1928) 27 October 1951 and they had one child together.<ref name=":0" /> He died on 31 October 2011, aged 83 years old.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Wohlwend |first=Walter Bruno |date=2 November 2011 |title=Dr. Alfred Hilbe ist gestorben |url=https://www.eliechtensteinensia.li/viewer/image/000476564_2011/7058/#topDocAnchor |access-date=24 November 2024 |work=Liechtensteiner Volksblatt |language=de}}</ref>
== Honours ==
* {{Flag|Austria}}: Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria (1957)<ref name=":0" /> * {{Flag|Liechtenstein}}: ** Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein (1974)<ref name=":0" /> ** Grand Cross with Diamonds of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein (2003)<ref name=":0" />
==See also==
* Politics of Liechtenstein * Alfred Hilbe cabinet
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{LiechtensteinPrimeMinisters}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilbe, Alfred}} Category:1928 births Category:2011 deaths Category:Heads of government of Liechtenstein Category:20th-century heads of government of Liechtenstein Category:Deputy heads of government of Liechtenstein Category:Finance ministers of Liechtenstein Category:Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein) politicians Category:21st-century Liechtenstein people Category:People from Gmunden Category:Recipients of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria Category:Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein Category:Liechtenstein economists Category:20th-century deputy heads of government of Liechtenstein Category:Liechtensteiner Vaterland people