Müstair
Encyclopedia
Müstair is a village in the Val Müstair
municipality
in the district of Inn in the Swiss
canton
of Graubünden
. In 2009 Müstair merged with Fuldera
, Lü, Switzerland, Santa Maria Val Müstair
, Tschierv
and Valchava
to form Val Müstair.
The easternmost point of Switzerland
, at Piz Chavalatsch
, is located in the municipality.
The main tourist attraction in the area is the Benedictine Convent of Saint John
.
Müstair has an area, , of 77.7 km² (30 sq mi). Of this area, 24.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 21.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (54.1%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
The village is located in the Val Müstair sub-district (now Val Müstair
municipality) of the Inn district. It is a long linear village
and is the lowest and largest village in the Val Müstair. It is also the most eastern village in Switzerland. Until 1943 Müstair was known as Münster (GR).
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.6% male and 50.4% female. The age distribution, , in Müstair is; 76 children or 10.2% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 71 teenagers or 9.5% are 10 to 14, and 40 teenagers or 5.4% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 66 people or 8.9% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 107 people or 14.4% are 30 to 39, 109 people or 14.6% are 40 to 49, and 100 people or 13.4% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 68 people or 9.1% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 76 people or 10.2% are 70 to 79, there are 28 people or 3.8% who are 80 to 89, and there are 4 people or 0.5% who are 90 to 99.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 57.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(21.7%), the SPS
(12.7%) and the FDP
(7%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Müstair about 69.1% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Müstair has an unemployment rate of 0.95%. , there were 45 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 121 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 14 businesses in this sector. 270 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 50 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
and a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
.
. The wettest month is August during which time Müstair receives an average of 86 mm (3.4 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 9.3 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 10, but with only 80 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 33 mm (1.3 in) of precipitation over 9.3 days.
Val Müstair
Val Müstair is a municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It was formed on 1 January 2009 through the merger of Tschierv, Fuldera, Lü, Valchava, Santa Maria Val Müstair and Müstair.-Demographics:...
municipality
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 Inn 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...
. In 2009 Müstair merged with Fuldera
Fuldera
Fuldera is a village in the Val Müstair municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. In 2009 Fuldera merged with Lü, Müstair, Santa Maria Val Müstair, Tschierv and Valchava to form the municipality of Val Müstair.-Geography:...
, Lü, Switzerland, Santa Maria Val Müstair
Santa Maria Val Müstair
Santa Maria Val Müstair is a village in the Val Müstair municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. In 2009 Santa Maria Val Müstair merged with Lü, Müstair, Fuldera, Tschierv and Valchava to form the municipality of Val Müstair.-History:Sta...
, Tschierv
Tschierv
Tschierv is a village in the Val Müstair municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. In 2009 Tschierv merged with Fuldera, Lü, Müstair, Santa Maria Val Müstair and Valchava to form the municipality of Val Müstair.-History:...
and Valchava
Valchava
Valchava is a village in the Val Müstair of the canton of Graubünden , Switzerland. It was an independent municipality in the district of Inn until on 1 January 2009 Valchava merged with Fuldera, Lü, Müstair, Santa Maria Val Müstair and Tschierv to form Val Müstair.-Geography:Valchava has an area,...
to form Val Müstair.
The easternmost point of Switzerland
Extreme points of Switzerland
-Elevation:See also:*List of highest points of the cantons of Switzerland*List of tallest structures in Switzerland-Latitude and longitude:See also: Geographical centre of Switzerland-See also:*Extreme points of Earth*Geography of Switzerland...
, at Piz Chavalatsch
Piz Chavalatsch
Piz Chavalatsch is a mountain in the Ortler Range of the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy. It forms the border between the Swiss canton of Graubünden and the Italian province of South Tyrol....
, is located in the municipality.
The main tourist attraction in the area is the Benedictine Convent of Saint John
Benedictine Convent of Saint John
The Convent of Saint John is an ancient Benedictine monastery in Müstair village of Val Müstair, Switzerland, and, by reason of its exceptionally well-preserved heritage of Carolingian art, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.-History:...
.
Geography
The village is located in the Val Müstair sub-district (now Val Müstair
Val Müstair
Val Müstair is a municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It was formed on 1 January 2009 through the merger of Tschierv, Fuldera, Lü, Valchava, Santa Maria Val Müstair and Müstair.-Demographics:...
municipality) of the Inn district. It is a long 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....
and is the lowest and largest village in the Val Müstair. It is also the most eastern village in Switzerland. Until 1943 Müstair was known as Münster (GR).
Demographics
Müstair has a population of 748, of which 5.9% are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -9.4%., the gender distribution of the population was 49.6% male and 50.4% female. The age distribution, , in Müstair is; 76 children or 10.2% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 71 teenagers or 9.5% are 10 to 14, and 40 teenagers or 5.4% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 66 people or 8.9% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 107 people or 14.4% are 30 to 39, 109 people or 14.6% are 40 to 49, and 100 people or 13.4% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 68 people or 9.1% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 76 people or 10.2% are 70 to 79, there are 28 people or 3.8% who are 80 to 89, and there are 4 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 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 57.5% 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...
(21.7%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(12.7%) and 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....
(7%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Müstair about 69.1% 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...
).
Müstair has an unemployment rate of 0.95%. , there were 45 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 121 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 14 businesses in this sector. 270 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 50 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1835 | 513 |
| 1850 | 475 |
| 1900 | 599 |
| 1950 | 776 |
| 2000 | 745 |
Languages
Most of the population speaks Rhaeto-Romance (72.9%), with German being second most common (24.7%) and Portuguese being third ( 0.7%). Most of the population speaks the Jauer dialect of Romansh. In 1880 about 87% spoke Romansh as a first language, in 1910 88% spoke Romansh and in 1941 it was 89%. In 1990 about 88% understood Romansh as a first or second language, and in 2000 it was 86%.| Languages in Müstair | ||||||
| Languages | Census 1980 | Census 1990 | Census 2000 | |||
| 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.... |
123 | 17.40 % | 160 | 21.28 % | 184 | 24.70 % |
| Romanish | 574 | 81.19 % | 578 | 76.86 % | 543 | 72.89 % |
| 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... |
8 | 1.13 % | 10 | 1.33 % | 4 | 0.54 % |
| Population | 707 | 100 % | 752 | 100 % | 745 | 100 % |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Benedictine Convent of Saint John is both listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significanceSwiss 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...
and a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Weather
Müstair has an average of 86.7 days of rain per year and on average receives 690 mm (27.2 in) of precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
. The wettest month is August during which time Müstair receives an average of 86 mm (3.4 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 9.3 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 10, but with only 80 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 33 mm (1.3 in) of precipitation over 9.3 days.