Chur

Chur from its highest point, called Fürhörnli, looking upstream

Chur had an area, (as of the 2004/09 survey) of 54.33 km² (20.98 sq mi).[19] Of this area, about 17.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 52.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 26.5% is settled (buildings or roads) and 3.9% is unproductive land. Over the past two decades (1979/85–2004/09) the amount of land that is settled has increased by 86 ha (210 acres) and the agricultural land has decreased by 87 ha (210 acres).[20]

Chur is situated at a height of 1,949 ft (594 m) above sea level, on the right bank of the torrent Plessur, just as it issues from the valley Schanfigg, and about a mile above its junction with the Rhine, almost entirely surrounded by the Alps, overshadowed by the Mittenberg (northeast) and Pizoggel (southwest), hills that guard the entrance to the deep-cut valley Schanfigg.[9]

The altitude in the city area varies from 600 meters (2,000 ft) above sea level to 1,800 meters (5,900 ft) above sea level, the Churer Hausberg Brambrüesch (accessible from the Old Town) situated at 2,174 meters (7,133 ft) above sea level.

The water of Chur's spring is exported and sold as Passugger mineral water.

Chur has an oceanic climate in spite of its inland position. Summers are warm and sometimes hot, normally averaging around 25 °C (77 °F) during the day, whilst winter means are around freezing, with daytime temperatures being about 5 °C (41 °F). Between 1981 and 2010 Chur had an average of 104.6 days of rain per year and on average received 849 mm (33.4 in) of precipitation. The wettest month was August during which time Chur received an average of 112 mm (4.4 in) of precipitation. During this month there was precipitation for an average of 11.2 days. The driest month of the year was February with an average of 47 mm (1.9 in) of precipitation over 6.6 days.[21]

Blazon: Argent, a city gate gules with three merlons, within which a capricorn rampant sable, langued and viriled of the second.

The City Council (Stadtrat) constitutes the executive government of the City of Chur and operates as a collegiate authority. It is composed of only three councilors (German: Stadtrat/ Stadträtin), each presiding over a department. In the mandate period 2021–2024 (Legislatur) the City Council is presided by Stadtpräsident Urs Marti. Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the Municipal Council (parliament) are carried by the City Council. The regular election of the City Council by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every four years. Any resident of Chur allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the City Council. The current mandate period is from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2024. The delegates are elected by means of a system of Proporz. The mayor is elected as such by public election by means of a system of Majorz, while the heads of the other departments are assigned by the collegiate.[22]

As of 2020, Chur's City Council is made up of one representative of the FDP (FDP.The Liberals, who is also the mayor), one of the SP (Social Democratic Party), and one new member of The Centre (former CVP/PDC and BDP/PBD), giving the right parties a new majority of two out of three seats. The last regular election was held on 27 September 2020.[22]

The Municipal Council (Gemeinderat) holds legislative power. It is made up of only 21 members, with elections held every four years. The Municipal Council decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the City Council and the administration. The delegates are selected by means of a system of Proporz.

The sessions of the Municipal Council are public. Unlike members of the City Council, members of the Municipal Council are not politicians by profession, and they are paid a fee based on their attendance. Any resident of Chur allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the Municipal Council. The parliament holds its meetings in the Rathaus (Town Hall).[23]

The last regular election of the Municipal Council was held on 27 September 2020 for the mandate period (German: Legislatur) from January 2021 to December 2024. Currently the Municipal Council consist of 6 (-, no change) members of the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS), 4 (-) Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC), 4 (+1) The Liberals (FDP/PLR), 3 (+1) The Centre (former CVP/PDC and BDP/PBD), 3 (+2) Green Liberal Party (GLP/PVL), 2 (-) Freie Liste & Grüne (Free List & Greens), while the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP/PBD) lost all their 3 seats due to Dissolution and merged with former CVP.[23]

In the 2015 federal election the most popular party was the SVP/UDC with 26.43% of the vote followed almost equally by the SP/PS (25.96%), then the CVP/PDC (13.74%), the FDP/PLR (12.06%), the BDP/PBD (11.97), and the GLP/PVL (9.71). In the federal election, a total of 11,102 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 45.4%.[24]

Chur has a population (as of 31 December 2020) of 36,336.[26] In 2008, 17.8% of the population was made up of foreign nationals,[27] by 2014 that number was 19.2%. Over the last 4 years (2010-2014) the population has changed at a rate of 2.34%. The birth rate in the municipality, in 2014, was 9.2, while the death rate was 10.0 per thousand residents.[20] Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (81.0%), with Italian being second most common (6.4%) and Romansh being third (5.3%).[28][29]

As of 2000, the gender distribution of the population was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.[30] The age distribution, as of 2000, in Chur is; 3,087 children or 9.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old. 1,602 teenagers or 4.9% are 10 to 14, and 2,194 teenagers or 6.7% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 4,770 people or 14.5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 5,517 people or 16.7% are 30 to 39, 4,616 people or 14.0% are 40 to 49, and 4,254 people or 12.9% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 3,090 people or 9.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 2,314 people or 7.0% are 70 to 79, there are 1,307 people or 4.0% who are 80 to 89, there are 233 people or 0.7% who are 90 to 99, and 5 people who are 100 or more.[27]

In 2015 there were 15,557 single residents, 13,722 people who were married or in a civil partnership, 1,948 widows or widowers, 3,423 divorced residents and 2 people who did not answer the question.[31]

In 2014 there were 16,970 private households in Chur with an average household size of 2.00 persons. Of the 3,792 inhabited buildings in the municipality, in 2000, about 37.8% were single family homes and 39.7% were multiple family buildings. Additionally, about 20.5% of the buildings were built before 1919, while 8.8% were built between 1991 and 2000.[32] In 2013 the rate of construction of new housing units per 1000 residents was 7.71. The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2015, was 0.6%.[20]

The historical population is given in the following chart:[33]

^a Language adds up to over 100% due to counting all languages, not just first language.

From the 2000 census, 14,713 or 44.6% are Roman Catholic, while 12,199 or 37.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there are 15 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland, there are 589 individuals (or about 1.79% of the population) who belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church, and there are 532 individuals (or about 1.61% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There are 13 individuals (or about 0.04% of the population) who are Jewish, and 917 (or about 2.78% of the population) who are Muslim. There are 424 individuals (or about 1.29% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 1,998 (or about 6.06% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 1,589 individuals (or about 4.82% of the population) did not answer the question.[27]

In Chur about 70.3% of the population (between age 25 and 64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule).[28] The town is home to the Cantonal School of Graubünden.

As of  2014, there were a total of 32,448 people employed in the municipality. Of these, 108 people worked in 26 businesses in the primary economic sector. A majority (68.5%) of the primary sector employees worked in very small businesses (less than ten employees). The remainder worked in 2 small businesses with a total of 34 employees. The secondary sector employed 3,645 workers in 345 separate businesses. A minority (21.2%) of the secondary sector employees worked in very small businesses. There were 75 small businesses with a total of 1,731 employees and 12 mid sized businesses with a total of 1,141 employees. Finally, the tertiary sector provided 28,695 jobs in 3,375 businesses. In 2014 a total of 16,854 employees worked in 3,306 small companies (less than 50 employees). There were 65 mid-sized businesses with 9,093 employees and 4 large businesses which employed 2,748 people (for an average size of 687).[34]

In 2014 a total of 7.7% of the population received social assistance.[20]

In 2015 local hotels had a total of 152,629 overnight stays, of which 47.8% were international visitors.[35]

There were two movie theaters in the municipality, in 2015, with a total of 4 screens and 736 seats.[36]

In 2014 the crime rate, of the over 200 crimes listed in the Swiss Criminal Code (running from murder, robbery and assault to accepting bribes and election fraud), in Chur was 68.6 per thousand residents, only slightly higher than the national average of 64.6 per thousand. During the same period, the rate of drug crimes was 15.7 per thousand residents, which is about one and half times the national rate. The rate of violations of immigration, visa and work permit laws was 2.4 per thousand residents, or about half the national rate.[37]

Chur is home to many buildings or other sites that are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. There are two archeological sites in Chur, the old city which is a medieval city and Welschdörfli a prehistoric settlement and Roman Vicus. There are four archives or libraries; the bishop's palace (library and archive), the Cantonal Library, the Cantonal Archive of Graubünden and the city archive of Chur. There are also four museums on the list; the Bündner Kunstmuseum (Art Museum), Bündner Naturmuseum (Natural History Museum), the Dommuseum and the Rätisches Museum in the Haus Buol. Three churches are included in the list; The cathedral of the Assumption, the Catholic Church of St. Luzi and the Reformed church of St. Martin. There are 15 other buildings that are also heritage sites; these include the Alte Kaserne at Zeughaus 3 (the Old Armory), the Confederation Paper Mill, the Main Post Office, the new Town Hall, headquarters of the Rhätische Bahn and several old patrician houses. With the 2021 merger of Haldenstein into Chur, the Ruins of Haldenstein fortress and Haldenstein Castle became part of Chur.[38]

• George Blaurock (c. 1492–1529), Grisonian Catholic pater and leading personality of the Radical Reformation, one of the founders of Anabaptism
• Johannes Fabricius Montanus (1527–1577), German theologian and poet[42]
• Jörg Jenatsch (1596–1639), Grisonian politician during the Thirty Years' War, assassinated in Chur.[43]
• Soloman Sprecher von Bernegg (1697–1758), Habsburg field marshal in the Seven Years' War

• Jerome, 2nd Count de Salis (1709–1794), a Fellow of the Royal Society and sometime British Resident in the Grisons.
• Jeremiah Theus (1716–1746), Swiss-American painter, primarily of portraits.
• Angelica Kauffman, RA (1741–1801), Austrian Neoclassical painter, successful career in London and Rome.[44]
• Richard La Nicca (1794–1883 in Chur), a Swiss engineer, planned and implemented the Jura water correction project in the Swiss Jura

• Alexander Moritzi (1806–1850), a Swiss naturalist and early proponent of evolution
• Gottfried Ludwig Theobald (1810–1869 in Chur), a German-Swiss geologist and cartographer, taught in Chur 1854–1869.
• Johann Baptista von Tscharner (1815–1879), born and died in Chur, lawyer and politician[45]
• Philip Schaff (1819–1893), Protestant theologian and church historian, lived and taught in the United States[46]
• Johann Coaz (1822– 1918), a forester, topographer and mountaineer from Graubünden
• Simeon Bavier (1825–1896), a politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council 1878-1883
• Eduard Killias (1829–1891), a Swiss physician, naturalist and balneologist
• Carl Hilty (1833–1909), a philosopher, writer and worked as a lawyer in Chur for 20 years
• Adolfo Kind (1848–1907), a chemical engineer and one of the fathers of skiing in Italy
• Clara Ragaz (1874–1957), feminist, pacifist and supporter of the temperance movement
• Jakob Buchli (1876–1945), engineer in the field of locomotive design
• Alfred Heuß (1877–1934), German musicologist
• Josias Braun-Blanquet (1884–1980), a phytosociologist and botanist
• Rosa Gutknecht (1885–1959), a German-born Swiss theologian and cleric, in 1918 she was one of the first two women to graduate in theology and be ordained as pastors
• Harry Clarke (1889–1931 in Chur), an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator
• Kurt Huber (1893–1943), a university professor and resistance fighter with the anti-Nazi group White Rose
• Maurice Conradi (1896–1947 in Chur), a Russian White officer who fought in World War I and the Civil War in Russia

• Robert Platow (1900–1982 in Chur), German journalist, founder and publisher of the Platow Brief[47]
• Heinrich Willi (1900–1971), pediatrician who co-discovered Prader–Willi syndrome
• Andreas Walser (1908–1930), a Swiss painter in Paris
• Gustav Guanella (1909–1982), a Swiss inventor, developed high-frequency electronics
• Meinrad Schütter (1910–2006), a Swiss composer
• Rudolf Olgiati (1910–1995), local architect, of the New Objectivity movement
• H. R. Giger (1940–2014), visual artist, painter and Oscar winner[48]
• Peter Zumthor (born 1943), an uncompromising and minimalist Swiss architect, works in Chur
• Alex P. Schmid (born 1943), a Swiss-born Dutch scholar in terrorism studies and former Officer-in-Charge of the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations
• Mario Illien (born 1946), engineer, specialising in motorsport engine design
• Robert Indermaur (born 1947), a Swiss painter and sculptor
• Hans Danuser (born 1953), a Swiss artist and photographer
• Corin Curschellas (born 1956), a Swiss singer-songwriter, vocalist, free improvisation, actress and voice actress[49]
• Valerio Olgiati (born 1958), renowned architect of Grisonian buildings
• Raphael Zuber (born 1973), renowned architect
• Adrian J. Meier (born 1976), politician of local council and explorer
• Rebecca Indermaur (born c. 1977), a Swiss film and television actress[50]

• Rico Bianchi (born 1930), a Swiss rower, competed in the 1952 and 1960 Summer Olympics
• Yvonne Rüegg (born 1938), a Swiss former alpine skier, gold medallist in giant slalom at the 1960 Winter Olympics
• Renato Tosio (born 1964), former ice hockey goaltender of EHC Chur
• Mario Frick (born 1974), a Swiss-born Liechtensteiner retired professional footballer who is currently a manager for FC Vaduz; 664 team games and 125 for his national team
• Giorgio Rocca (born 1975), an Italian former alpine skier
• Thierry Paterlini (born 1975), a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman
• Binia Feltscher (born 1978), Swiss curler, silver medallist at the 2006 Winter Olympics
• Nino Schurter (born 1986), mountain biker and Olympic gold medallist, lives in Chur
• Nino Niederreiter (born 1992), second highest NHL-drafted Swiss-born hockey player

• 
  Georg Jenatsch, 1636
• 
  Angelika Kauffmann, self portrait, 1784
• 
  Philip Schaff
• 
  Kurt Huber
• 
  H. R. Giger, 2012
• 
  Mario Frick, 2015
• 
  Nino Schurter, 2011

• Chur (municipality) in Romansh, German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 2015-11-18.
• A. Eichhorn, Episcopatus Curiensis (St Blasien, 1797)
• W. von Juvalt, Forschungen fiber die Feudalzeit im Curischen Raetien, two parts (Zürich, 1871)
• C. Kind, Die Reformation in den Bistumern Chur und Como (Coire, 1858)
• Conradin von Moor, Geschichte von Curraetien (2 vols., Coire, 1870–1874)
• P. C. you Planta, Des alte Raetien (Berlin, 1872); Idem, Die Curraetischen Herrschaften in der Feudalzeit (Bern, 188i); Idem, Verfassungsgeschichte der Stadt Cur im Mittelalter (Coire, 1879); Idem, Geschichte von Graubünden (Bern, 1892).
• Coolidge, William Augustus Brevoort (1911). "Coire" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 654.
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Chur". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• Principality of Liechtenstein homepage on religion