Music from Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein 1.6.2026
On June 1, 2026, Liechtenstein will issue a postage stamp entitled “Liader us der Oberteli,” which translates roughly as “Songs from the Attic.” This issue aims to draw attention to the country’s cultural heritage, particularly its traditional folk music and its preservation for future generations. The stamp is designed as a playable record. The focus of this issue is Josef “Pepi” Frommelt, a pioneer of Liechtenstein folk music research, who dedicated decades to collecting, documenting, and preserving traditional songs. His aim was not only to preserve the musical roots but also to make old songs accessible to a new audience.
The song featured on the stamp is called “S’isch egal” (It Doesn’t Matter). For a long time, the melody was thought to be a Liechtenstein folk song, until it was discovered that the original, titled “Du und i sind Brüederli,” was composed by the Swiss composer Werner Wehrli (1892-1944). This discovery underscores the cultural value of the collection: folk music thrives on exchange, transmission, and interpretation. In 1985, the song was recorded on a long-playing record for the first time, thus preserving it for future generations. The version on the stamp was recorded in 2023 by the Liechtenstein pop group PEPS with a contemporary pop and reggae feeling: Liechtenstein dialect in its current reality, in dialogue with the historical language of over 100 years ago.
