Georg Malin

Georg Malin (born 8 February 1926) is a Liechtensteiner artist, sculptor, historian and politician. Between 1974 and 1978, Malin served as member of the governing council (executive office) in the Liechtenstein government, for the Progressive Citizens Party (FBP). He previously served as a member of the Landtag of Liechtenstein (legislative office) from 1966 to 1974, where he was also a member on the parliamentary delegation to the European Council.

Early life and education
Malin was born 8 February 1926 in Mauren, Liechtenstein to Josef and Hildegard Malin (née Batliner). He spent his high school years at the Disentis Abbey School where he graduated with the Swiss Matura in 1947. From 1947 to 1952 he studied history, art history, archeology and philosophy at the Universities of Zurich and Fribourg. In 1952 Malin received his doctorate with a thesis on the political history of the principality of Liechtenstein between 1800 and 1815.

From 1947 to 1949 Malin was trained at the studio of Alfons Magg (1891–1967) as a sculptor and by Henry Wabel (1889–1981) as a draftsman and painter. Hans Gisler was his teacher in drawing at the ETH Zurich. After graduating, Malin worked as an art teacher for two years and then as a freelance artist.

Work as a politician and historian
Georg Malin researched the prehistory and early history of Liechtenstein. In this context he examined the historical documents in the archives before 1416. Starting from 1968 Malin was responsible for the excavations on the church hill of Bendern (1968–1977), in the church of Eschen (1977–1979) and for the excavation of a Roman estate in Nendeln (1973–1976). From 1968 to 1996 Georg Malin was the first curator of the State Art Collection of Liechtenstein, the predecessor of the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. In 1995 he edited a summary catalogue of the collection. In 1986 and 1987 Georg Malin gave lectures as an art historian and art museum director at the University of St. Gallen.

In 1951 Malin was one of the founding members of the Liechtenstein Academic Society (Liechtensteinische Akademische Gesellschaft). From 1954 to 1966 he was a lay judge at the Liechtenstein High Court. From 1966 to 1974 Malin was the representative of the Landtag (Liechtenstein Parliament) and member of the parliamentary observing delegation at the Council of Europe which prepared the admission of Liechtenstein. As a member of the commission for foreign politics Malin represented Liechtenstein at the Conference of Security and Cooperation in Europe at the preparing work for the foundation of the OSCE in Helsinki in 1972. From 1974 to 1978 Georg Malin was in office as the Minister of Environment and Culture in the Liechtenstein Government.

Artistic work
Georg Malin's first commissions for the decoration of sacred spaces date from around 1954 to 1963 (St. Josef's Chapel, Planken; Rudolfstetten; St. Josefen, Gaiserwald; Church of Gossau ZH; Notre Dame de la Route, Fribourg-Cormanon). During the same period he created grave monuments carved in marble in cemeteries in Zug, St. Gallen, Dietikon and the marble relief on the south façade of the Liechtensteinische Landesbank Vaduz, which was created in 1953/56. In 1956/59 he created the granite sculpture depicting Prince John II of Liechtenstein as well as several portrait busts.

Sacred art and religious buildings
Around 1960, Malin, together with the architects Fritz Metzger and Rudolf Schwarz, conceived the furnishings of the Schellenberg church designed by Eduard Ladner (1929–2023). Metzger and Schwarz anticipated new guidelines of the Second Vatican Council regarding church building. Following in the footsteps of the Schellenberg church portal is the gate of the Gossau-Mettendorf church, St. Gallen, from 1969/70.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Malin furnished other church interiors with sculptural works, including the choir of a Catholic church built by Justus Dahinden in Zürich-Witikon, the neo-Gothic choir room of the parish church in Schaan and the Dreifaltigkeitskirche in Bern (1972/74).

Furnishings of religious buildings

 * 1960/61: Parish Church Schellenberg, Liechtenstein
 * 1963: Choir design Roman catholic church Däniken SO
 * 1962/63: St. Peter, Schaan, Liechtenstein
 * 1963/69: St. Marien, Windisch
 * 1964/65: Roman catholic church Coronation of Maria (Maria Krönung) Zürich-Witikon
 * 1965/67: Roman catholic church Thusis
 * 1966/67: Pass chapel St. Maria, Lukmanier pass
 * 1966/68: Roman catholic church Trimmis
 * 1966/72: St. Stefan's church, Amriswil
 * 1969/71: Roman catholic church Mels-Heiligkreuz
 * 1975/77: Roman catholic church Mümliswil
 * 1976/79: St. Martin, Eschen, Liechtenstein
 * 1979: Community Stella Matutina, Feldkirch, Vorarlberg
 * 1979: Roman catholic Redeemer's church (Chur), Grisons
 * 1986/88: Roman catholic church Peter und Paul (Mauren), Liechtenstein

In the Zürich suburb of Maur-Ebmatingen, Malin designed the choir of St. Francis Church in 1990/91, the new crypt in St. Jacob's Cathedral in Innsbruck (1992/93) and the Theresienkirche in Schaanwald. In the same period, the Church of St. Fridolin in Ruggell (1994/95) underwent an interior renovation. The Chapel of Grace in Einsiedeln Abbey was restored to its classical state of 1817, while at the same time taking into account the demand for conciliar liturgy. The work was completed in 1995/97.

Malin has decorated a total of around 30 churches and chapels.

Personal life
On 14 July 1956 he married Bertha Josefa Ziegler (1926–2021),  originally from Zürich. Her brother was the theologist, ethicist and author Albert Ziegler SJ. They had six children:


 * Barbara Maria (born 1957)
 * Cosmas Georg (born 1959)
 * Sabina Katharina (born 1960)
 * Zeno Josef Albert (born 1961)
 * Basilius Johannes (born 1963)
 * Cyrill Benedikt Ignatius (1964–1964)

Malin currently resides in Mauren, his hometown.

Exhibitions (selected)

 * 1970: Galerie Quader, Chur
 * 1970: Städtisches Museum Bensberg
 * 1971: Paulus-Akademie Zürich
 * 1974: Galerie Theater am Kirchplatz, Schaan
 * 1983: Torkel-Galerie, Maienfeld
 * 1985: Aquarelle aus dem Rheintal, Galerie Haas, Vaduz
 * 1989: Skulpturen, Freilichtausstellung Neu-Technikum Buchs, Buchs
 * 1990: Bildende Kunst in Uster, 14. Skulpturenausstellung, Stadthauswiese, Stadthaus Uster
 * 1992: Skulpturen und Aquarelle, Galerie Giacometti, Chur
 * 1993: Georg Malin – Neue Skulpturen, Galerie Katharinen, St. Gallen. Kunstverein St. Gallen and Cultural Advisory Board of the Princely Government Vaduz
 * 1995: Georg Malin – Neue Skulpturen und Aquarelle, Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, Vaduz
 * 1995: Skulpturen. Neue Kunst an der Goethe-Allee, Kurpark Bad Berka, Weimar
 * 1996: Georg Malin, Rückschau – Ausblick, Galerie am Lindenplatz, Schaan (under the honorary patronage of Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein)
 * 1999: Georg Malin – Aquarelle, Galerie am Sachsenplatz, Leipzig, und Galerie Goethe-Institut, Weimar
 * 1999: Georg Malin – Skulpturen, Galerie am Lindenplatz, Vaduz
 * 1999: Georg Malin – Skulptur von der Stabilität zur Mobilität, Galerie am Lindenplatz, Vaduz
 * 1999: Georg Malin – Skulpturen, together with Karol Broniatowski, Arbeiten auf Papier, Galerie am Lindenplatz, Vaduz
 * 2004: Kunst im Fenster, VP Bank (Schweiz) AG Zürich
 * 2006: Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz Georg Malin, (catalogue)
 * 2006: Georg Malin, Ausstellung Stadtraum Weimar, Schillerstrasse. Goetheplatz, Weimar
 * 2006: together with G. Angelika Wetzel and Willi Weiner (in Dorotheenhof Park Weimar), Wittumspalais (Stadttheater)
 * 2007: Frühlingsevent, Pro Natura Mauren: Kunst Georg Malin
 * 2015: Georg Malin als Briefmarkengestalter – Aquarelle und Zeichnungen, Postmuseum Vaduz, catalogue edited by Rainer Vollkommer
 * 2016: Georg Malin – Museumsmann und Künstler, Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz, 24 June – 2 October 2016, curated by Friedemann Malsch
 * 2016: Georg Malin – Farben und Formen, Kulturhaus Rössle, Mauren (FL), 26 August – 2 October 2016, curated by Elisabeth Huppmann
 * 2016: Helena Becker, Evelyne Bermann, Beate Frommelt, Ruth Gschwendtner-Wölfle, Gertrud Kohli, Georg Malin, Arno Oehri, Hansjörg Quaderer, Hanna Roeckle, Hanni Schierscher, Sunhild Wollwage, Carol Wyss – Grenzgänger im Otten Kunstraum, Hohenems, 2 September – 1 December 2016, curated by Ingrid Adamer
 * 2019: THÜBRIA 2019 – Liechtenstein-Sonderschau: Kirchenpatrone als Briefmarkenmotiv, Greiz (Thüringen), 3–6 October 2019
 * 2020: Objekte der Kunst, Galerie am Lindenplatz, Vaduz, 7 November 2020 – 30 January 2021, group exhibition
 * 2021: Arbeiten aus dem Atelier im Bachtalwingert 10, Galerie am Lindenplatz, Vaduz, 16 April – 12 June 2021
 * 2023: Aus der Sammlung der Kulturstiftung Liechtenstein: Form – Farbe – Fläche, KUNSTRAUM Engländerbau, Vaduz, 8 January – 26 February 2023, group exhibition, curated by Doris Bühler and Elmar Gangl