Churwalden
Encyclopedia
Churwalden is a municipality
in the district of Plessur
in the canton
of Graubünden
in Switzerland
. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Malix
and Parpan
merged into Churwalden.
The municipality is located in Churwalden sub-district of the Plessur district on the Rabiusa
river and near the Lenzerheide Pass
. The village lies in the valley between the cantonal capital Chur
and the resort Lenzerheide
. The Lenzerheide Bergbahnen AG offers access to the skiing area of Lenzerheide as well as Stätzerhorn, Danis, Scalottas, and Rothorn. The longest toboggan
run (Rodelbahn) is in Churwalden. The run at Pradaschier is 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) long.
The municipality consists of the linear village
of Churwalden and the hamlets
of Passugg, Araschgen and scattered farm houses. The municipalities of Churwalden, Malix, and Parpan are seeking approval from the Canton to merge on 1 January 2010 into a new municipality that will be known as Churwalden.
, the gender distribution of the population was 50.4% male and 49.6% female. The age distribution, , in Churwalden is; 127 children or 10.3% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 75 teenagers or 6.1% are 10 to 14, and 92 teenagers or 7.4% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 206 people or 16.7% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 201 people or 16.3% are 30 to 39, 174 people or 14.1% are 40 to 49, and 127 people or 10.3% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 101 people or 8.2% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 88 people or 7.1% are 70 to 79, there are 39 people or 3.2% who are 80 to 89, and there are 6 people or 0.5% who are 90 to 99.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 43.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(20.1%), the FDP
(18%) and the CVP
(17.6%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Churwalden about 64% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Churwalden has an unemployment rate of 1.37%. , there were 76 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 145 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 18 businesses in this sector. 259 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 43 businesses in this sector.
From the , 483 or 39.1% are Roman Catholic, while 476 or 38.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
. Of the rest of the population, there are 20 individuals (or about 1.62% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church. There are 116 (or about 9.39% of the population) who are Islam
ic. There are 17 individuals (or about 1.38% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 89 (or about 7.20% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 35 individuals (or about 2.83% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
) are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance
.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Plessur
Plessur (district)
Plessur District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of and has a population of . The district is named after the river Plessur which crosses it....
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Malix
Malix
Malix was a municipality in the district of Plessur in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Malix and Parpan merged into the municipality of Churwalden.-Geography:...
and Parpan
Parpan
Parpan was a municipality in the district Plessur of the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Malix and Parpan merged into Churwalden.-History:...
merged into Churwalden.
History
Churwalden is first mentioned in 1149 as silva Augeria. In 1191 it was mentioned as de Curwalde.Geography
Churwalden has an area, , of 26.7 km² (10.3 sq mi). Of this area, 40.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 40.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 3.1% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (16.1%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).The municipality is located in Churwalden sub-district of the Plessur district on the Rabiusa
Rabiusa
The Rabiusa is a 32 km long tributary of the Rhine. The river originates in the district Hinterrhein in the canton of Graubünden, in the mountains surrounding the Bärenhorn , where the old bridle path from Safien to Splügen crosses the Safierberg Pass...
river and near the Lenzerheide Pass
Lenzerheide Pass
Lenzerheide is the common name of a passage past a high mountain pass in the Alps in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland, reaching summit at 1549 m between Valbella and Parpan, approximately 5 kilometers south of the resort of Lenzerheide....
. The village lies in the valley between the cantonal capital Chur
Chur
Chur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
and the resort Lenzerheide
Lenzerheide
Lenzerheide is a mountain resort in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It lies at the foot of the Parpaner Rothorn. The village belongs to the municipality Vaz/Obervaz in the district of Albula, sub-district Alvaschein....
. The Lenzerheide Bergbahnen AG offers access to the skiing area of Lenzerheide as well as Stätzerhorn, Danis, Scalottas, and Rothorn. The longest toboggan
Toboggan
A toboggan is a simple sled which is a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people down a hill or other slope for recreation. Designs vary from simple, traditional models to modern engineered composites...
run (Rodelbahn) is in Churwalden. The run at Pradaschier is 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) long.
The municipality consists of the linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
of Churwalden and the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Passugg, Araschgen and scattered farm houses. The municipalities of Churwalden, Malix, and Parpan are seeking approval from the Canton to merge on 1 January 2010 into a new municipality that will be known as Churwalden.
Demographics
Churwalden has a population (as of ) of . , 31.4% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -9.5%. Most of the population speaks German (79.7%), with Turkish being second most common ( 3.9%) and Romansh being third ( 2.3%)., the gender distribution of the population was 50.4% male and 49.6% female. The age distribution, , in Churwalden is; 127 children or 10.3% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 75 teenagers or 6.1% are 10 to 14, and 92 teenagers or 7.4% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 206 people or 16.7% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 201 people or 16.3% are 30 to 39, 174 people or 14.1% are 40 to 49, and 127 people or 10.3% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 101 people or 8.2% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 88 people or 7.1% are 70 to 79, there are 39 people or 3.2% who are 80 to 89, and there are 6 people or 0.5% who are 90 to 99.
In the 2007 federal election
Swiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
which received 43.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(20.1%), the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(18%) and the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(17.6%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Churwalden about 64% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
Churwalden has an unemployment rate of 1.37%. , there were 76 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 145 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 18 businesses in this sector. 259 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 43 businesses in this sector.
From the , 483 or 39.1% are Roman Catholic, while 476 or 38.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
Swiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there are 20 individuals (or about 1.62% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church. There are 116 (or about 9.39% of the population) who are Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There are 17 individuals (or about 1.38% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 89 (or about 7.20% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 35 individuals (or about 2.83% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1623 | c. 575 |
| 1850 | 695 |
| 1900 | 620 |
| 1950 | 815 |
| 1990 | 1,247 |
| 2000 | 1,236 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Catholic Church of St. Maria and Michael and the Wohnturm (a tower houseTower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
) are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.