Falera
Encyclopedia
Falera is a municipality
in the district of Surselva
in the Swiss
canton
of Graubünden
.
Falera is a part of the Alpenarena along with the towns of Flims
and Laax
and is the most secluded of the three.
and was very significant in the early development of what today is Switzerland. The village is first mentioned in 765 as Falariae. While the first actual mention of a church in Falera was in 840-841. However, the current church was not built until 1491. The church was built on the foot of the Mutta and was named after St. Remigius. Around the church are stone pillars (megalith
s or menhir
s), arranged geometrically, that are said to date around 1500 B.C.
Later, in the year 1903, another church was built. This church was built directly in the village and was named the Herz-Jesu-Kirche or "Heart of Jesus Church" . It, along with the original Falera church, are still standing today and the main attractions of Falera.
. Most people that have apartments in Falera do not live there year-round, but rather use them as vacation homes and weekend trips. The main language spoken is Romansh, a Romance language that is said to have descended from vulgar Latin
.
The Sternwarte Mirasteilas
, an astronomical observatory, was established in 2006.
The municipality is located in the Ilanz sub-district of the Surselva district. It is located on a terrace above the left bank of the Vorderrhein
river at an elevation of 1218 m (3,996.1 ft). Until 1969 Falera was known as Fellers.
, the gender distribution of the population was 51.2% male and 48.8% female. The age distribution, , in Falera is; 60 children or 11.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 61 teenagers or 12.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 65 people or 12.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 57 people or 11.3% are between 30 and 39, 76 people or 15.1% are between 40 and 49, and 64 people or 12.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 76 people or 15.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 22 people or 4.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 19 people or 3.8% who are between 80 and 89 there are 4 people or 0.8% who are between 90 and 99.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 47.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(23.7%), the FDP
(19.9%) and the SP
(8.1%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Falera about 68.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Falera has an unemployment rate of 0.99%. , there were 39 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 15 businesses involved in this sector. 52 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 91 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 21 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
and 1% that are Orthodox. About 0.6% did not answer the question.
sites) 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 Surselva
Surselva (district)
Surselva District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of and has a population of ....
in the Swiss
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....
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...
.
Falera is a part of the Alpenarena along with the towns of Flims
Flims
Flims is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The town of Flims is dominated by the Flimserstein which you can see from almost anywhere in the area....
and Laax
Laax
Laax is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Laax has an area, , of . Of this area, 35.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 30.6% is forested...
and is the most secluded of the three.
History
Falera is a town of rich culture and history. In 1800 B.C., a settlement was started on the Mutta. This came during the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and was very significant in the early development of what today is Switzerland. The village is first mentioned in 765 as Falariae. While the first actual mention of a church in Falera was in 840-841. However, the current church was not built until 1491. The church was built on the foot of the Mutta and was named after St. Remigius. Around the church are stone pillars (megalith
Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
s or menhir
Menhir
A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...
s), arranged geometrically, that are said to date around 1500 B.C.
Later, in the year 1903, another church was built. This church was built directly in the village and was named the Herz-Jesu-Kirche or "Heart of Jesus Church" . It, along with the original Falera church, are still standing today and the main attractions of Falera.
Falera today
Today, Falera is mostly overshadowed by the other two villages of the Alpenarena: Laax and FlimsFlims
Flims is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The town of Flims is dominated by the Flimserstein which you can see from almost anywhere in the area....
. Most people that have apartments in Falera do not live there year-round, but rather use them as vacation homes and weekend trips. The main language spoken is Romansh, a Romance language that is said to have descended from vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin is any of the nonstandard forms of Latin from which the Romance languages developed. Because of its nonstandard nature, it had no official orthography. All written works used Classical Latin, with very few exceptions...
.
The Sternwarte Mirasteilas
Sternwarte Mirasteilas
Sternwarte Mirasteilas is an observatory at Falera in the Grisons, Switzerland.-External links:*...
, an astronomical observatory, was established in 2006.
Geography
Falera has an area, , of 22.4 km² (8.6 sq mi). Of this area, 64.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 19.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (13.8%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).The municipality is located in the Ilanz sub-district of the Surselva district. It is located on a terrace above the left bank of the Vorderrhein
Vorderrhein
The Vorderrhein is one of the two sources of the Rhine. Its catchment area of is located predominantly in the Canton of Graubünden . The Vorderrhein is about long, thus more than 5% longer than the Hinterrhein...
river at an elevation of 1218 m (3,996.1 ft). Until 1969 Falera was known as Fellers.
Demographics
Falera has a population (as of ) of . , 10.6% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 13.1%., the gender distribution of the population was 51.2% male and 48.8% female. The age distribution, , in Falera is; 60 children or 11.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 61 teenagers or 12.1% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 65 people or 12.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 57 people or 11.3% are between 30 and 39, 76 people or 15.1% are between 40 and 49, and 64 people or 12.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 76 people or 15.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 22 people or 4.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 19 people or 3.8% who are between 80 and 89 there are 4 people or 0.8% who are between 90 and 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 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...
which received 47.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(23.7%), 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....
(19.9%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(8.1%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Falera about 68.3% 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...
).
Falera has an unemployment rate of 0.99%. , there were 39 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 15 businesses involved in this sector. 52 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 91 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 21 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1850 | 415 |
| 1900 | 322 |
| 1930 | 289 |
| 1950 | 370 |
| 1970 | 309 |
| 2000 | 504 |
Languages
Most of the population speaks Romansh(67.5%), with German being second most common (28.8%) and Italian being third ( 2.0%). Until the late 20th Century, the entire population spoke the Romansh dialect of Surselvisch. In 1880 about 99% spoke Romansh as a first language, while in 1941 it was 97% and in 2000 it had decreased to 67%. In 1990 about 90% of the population understood Romansh and in 2000 it was 78%.| Languages in Falera | ||||||
| Languages | Census 1980 | Census 1990 | Census 2000 | |||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| German German language German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union.... |
42 | 10.97 % | 71 | 17.57 % | 145 | 28.77 % |
| Romansh | 309 | 80.68 % | 327 | 80.94 % | 340 | 67.46 % |
| Italian Italian language Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia... |
7 | 1.83 % | 3 | 0.74 % | 10 | 1.98 % |
| Population | 383 | 100 % | 404 | 100 % | 504 | 100 % |
Religion
From the 84% are Roman Catholic, while 10% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss 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...
and 1% that are Orthodox. About 0.6% did not answer the question.
Heritage sites of national significance
The Church of S. Rumetg/St. Remigius and the Muota/Mutta and Planezzas (prehistoric settlements and megalithMegalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
sites) 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...
.