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Churwalden
Zwei
Stammhäuser der Familie Brügger in Churwalden:
 Mehr
zu Churwalden unter www.churwalden.ch
oder noch einige *.pdf-Ausdrucke (Quelle: Gemeinde Churwalden) : Churwalden.pdf
, Churwalden-Bilder.pdf , Churwalden-Chronik.pdf
, Churwalden-Gemeindeamman.pdf
The District of Churwalden
This district extends from the slopes of Parpan, and includes the whole catchment area of
the Rabiusa up to the point where it flows into the Plessur; it also includes the left
side of the valley of the Outer Schanfigg, up to the line made by the ridges of the Parpan
Weisshorn, the Arosa
Weisshorn, the Schariniser Grind, the Gireneggen, and the mouth of the Sagenbach. The
Political communes in this territory are Churwalden, Malix, Parpan, Praden and
Tschiertschen.
The name Churwalden appears to be a direct translation of the oldest Latin name-form
"silva augeria", meaning sycamore wood.
Because of its situation on one of the most important pass-routes of the Grisons, the
Julier-Septimer, the Churwald area has been of great importance since the time of the
Romans.
At the time of the Franks the territory was part of the Ministerium Curisinum. In the
Middle Ages a domain grew around Strassberg Castle at Malix. The Lords of Strassberg,
however, soon became dependent subjects of the Barons of Vaz, who appeared in 1275 as the
masters. The subject-territory included Churwalden, Malix, Parpan, and later
Tschiertschen. Praden was not included, however; it had been settled by Walsers from
Schanfigg, and probably because of this belonged to the jurisdiction of Langwies. There
were also settlements of Walsers on the right of the valley, at Runcalier and Grida, and
on the left slope at Pradaschier.
The bailiwick of the monastery at Churwalden, which was founded by Premonstratensian monks
from Roggenburg in southern Germany about the middle of the 12th century, was also subject
to the Strassbergs. The abbey was the traditional burial ground of the Barons of Vaz, and
they richly bestowed it with gifts. There was a hospital in the abbey, which is not
surprising when one considers its position. After the line of Vaz became extinct, the
domain passed to the Toggenburgers in 1338, and after the death of the last of this line
in 1338, and after the death of the last of this line in 1436 it passed to the
Montfort-Tettnangs who, because of financial difficulties, sold the property rights to
Duke Sigismund of Austria in 1466. The Duke sold the rights to Ulrich of Matsch, but
reclaimed them in 1479.
In 1436 the "Dusch of Tschiertschen" gave his pledge for the land and court of
Churwalden to the League of Ten Jurisdictions. In the old division of the country of the
Rhaetian Free State, the jurisdiction of Churwalden, together with the neighbourhoods
Churwalden, Malix, Parpan and the two
half jurisdictions of Inner and Outer Belfort, formed the High Court of Belfort. During
the Swabian wars the castle of Strassberg was taken from the Austrians by the people of
the Grisons. it was only in 1649, however, that the people of Churwalden were able to
purchase the Austrian rights.
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During the Reformation Malix and Praden were the first
villages to accept the new belief, in 1526; followed after 1550 by Tschiertschen and
Parpan. The prohibition of novices in the Articles of Ilanz, 1526, caused great
difficulties to the monastery at Churwalden. In 1533 there remained only the abbot and a
monk, and from 1599 onwards the monastery's affairs were managed by an administrator
elected by the Roggenburgs. In 1616 the Protestants of the court did away with the
administrator and occupied the church, which, with the exception of a short period of
restitution forced by the Austrians during the Wars of the Grisons, has served both
confessions ever since.
The law of 1851 on the division of the canton transferred Praden from the jurisdiction of
Langwies to the district of Churwalden.
Economically the transit traffic was of importance. Churwalden shared the "port"
with Lenz; the port was a transport co-operative organised by the communes. The customs
post at Strassberg, documentary evidence of which is first given in 1348, seems to have
benn extremely profitable, otherwise it would not have been a bone of contention between
the Bishops of Chur and Austria for over 100 years.
Under the influence of the Walsers and also mainly, of the monastery, the jurisdiction was
partly Germanised before the time of the Reformation. In spite of this Romansh was spoken
at Malix well into the 17th century. Today the whole district of Churwalden is
German-speaking.
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Famous men from the District of Churwalden:
Deacon Luzius Pol (1754-1828) from Malix made a name for himself as a botanist,
entomologist, topographer, and agronomist. He was deported to Graz by the Austrians, where
he remained from 1799 to 1801. He saw the need for harnessing the torrents of the Grisons,
and was successful in putting his ideas into practive.
Friedrich Brügger (1854-1930) from Churwalden
studied law at Löwen and Munich and later became a lawyer at Chur. He was elected to the
Small Council in 1900, and to the Federal Council in 1907; he was a member of the latter
for 23 years and its president from 1918 to 1919. In 1909 he was promoted to the rank of
Brigadier in the Army, and was in charge of the Gotthard defences. He became
Adjutant-General in 1914, and later, in recognition of his services in strengthening the
striking power of the army, the Government promoted him to the rank of General.
District Coat of Arms: Azure molet gold. Blazonry: Taken from an old coat of arms of the
district of Churwalden found on the seal of the neighbourhood. District colours:
blue-yellow.
download:
churwalden.zip (7K)
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