Born: 15 February 1899, Liechtenstein
Died: 12 March 1996
Country most active: Liechtenstein
Also known as: Ida Amann
Ida Ospelt-Amann was a notable Liechtenstein dialect poet and recognized as one of the prominent contributors to Liechtenstein dialect poetry. Her literary works predominantly centered around rural life and the transformations witnessed by her hometown, Vaduz, over the years.
Ida Amann, born to Franz Amann and Elisabeth Burtscher, attended elementary school from 1905 to 1911 and later the national school (now the secondary school) from 1911 to 1913. After completing her education, she worked in a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients in Arosa and subsequently in Portorož and St. Moritz. In 1917, her parents acquired the Adler inn in Vaduz, where she collaborated with her sister Emma. She married forester and hunter Hermann Ospelt on June 14, 1928.
The couple managed the Pfälzerhütte, opened in August 1928 by the Pfälz section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club, until 1931. Later, they took over the Vaduz restaurant Grüneck with an attached farm. Ida Ospelt-Amann began her literary pursuits after selling Grüneck in 1946, composing her entire body of work in the Vaduz dialect. She gained public recognition through poetry readings at popular farmer and winemaker balls in 1947/48. In 1965, her first poetry collection, S’Loob-Bett, was published, followed by S’ischt Suusersunntig in 1975. She continued to give readings and appeared on radio shows. In 1984, the book Di aalta Räder was published on the occasion of her 85th birthday. A cassette, Vadoz. Mys Hämatdorf, featuring her Vaduz dialect readings, was released in 1991.
Ida Ospelt-Amann passed away on March 12, 1996, and was laid to rest in the Vaduz cemetery. She was a mother of six, including politician Hilmar Ospelt, and her grandchildren include the cabaret artists Mathias and Ingo Ospelt. In recognition of her contributions to preserving the Vaduz dialect, Vaduz awarded her the Golden Cross of Merit and honorary citizenship. Prince Franz Josef II bestowed upon her the Knight’s Cross of the Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit.