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61-514: The first through trains between Romanshorn ( Lake Constance ) and Arth-Goldau started in 1940 after the electrification of the Südostbahn line between Rapperswil and Arth-Goldau. Romanshorn–Rapperswil had been under wires since 1926/31. The trains, fir green MUs composed of CFZe 4/4 and BCFZe 4/4 (both later called ABe 4/4 ) motor coaches and coaches , were jointly operated by Bodensee–Toggenburg-Bahn (BT), Südostbahn (SOB), and

122-468: A Fachhochschule ). 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

183-939: A copper and red livery (with black window frames and grey doors), running the whole route. This set includes a "bistro" car fitted with vending machines in the second class coach bordering the first class coaches. During peak-hours, the copper-red sets are each combined with a silver-red four car RABe 526 000 set (FLIRT or FLIRT3 model) on the section between Rapperswil and St. Gallen. The two sets are coupled and uncoupled , respectively, in Rapperswil ( portion working ). The shorter set operates as S40 of Zurich S-Bahn between Rapperswil and Einsiedeln . This allows passengers to travel between St. Gallen and Einsiedeln without changing trains. The same EMUs also operate as Treno Gottardo between Locarno and Zurich / Basel since December 2020, and as Aare Linth between Chur and Bern since December 2021. The Voralpen-Express runs along

244-407: A canton in 1803, Chur was chosen as its capital. Chur's cemetery is in the centre of town, and in the middle of the cemetery is a 13-tonne (13,000 kg) stone monument that dwarfs the nearby gravestones . The huge monolithic block of granite was erected in 1938 and for decades was largely ignored by passers-by until in 2023 a controversy arose after a Swiss historian discovered that it

305-518: A civil partnership, 1,948 widows and widowers, 3,423 divorced residents and 2 people who did not answer the question. 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. About 20.5% of the buildings dated from before 1919 and 8.8% were built between 1991 and 2000. In 2013

366-553: 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

427-404: A few new stops en route were also added (e.g., Meggen Zentrum). The lowest altitude en route is at Schmerikon (408 metres (1,339 ft) a.s.l. ) and the highest at Biberegg (933 metres (3,061 ft) a.s.l.), near Rothenthurm . The route is mostly a single-track railway , with intermittent double-track railway present in sections where trains cross regularly. From St. Gallen to Lucerne,

488-470: 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. As of 2020 , Chur's City Council is made up of one representative of the FDP ( FDP.The Liberals , who

549-441: A push-pull service without driving trailers . With the timetable change of 15 December 2019, the train category was updated to Panorama Express (PE), but because it caused confusion among passengers it was later changed again to IR Voralpen-Express . The locomotive hauled trains (with white, green and blue livery ) were replaced by RABe 526 EMUs. The EMUs consist of an eight car RABe 526 100/200 set, type Traverso , with

610-623: 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). In 2014

671-512: A total of 7.7% of the population received social assistance. In 2015 local hotels had a total of 152,629 overnight stays, of which 47.8% were international visitors. There were two cinemas in the municipality in 2015, with a total of 4 screens and 736 seats. 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

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732-717: A tribunal of its own but never had the title of Free Imperial City . In 1497–98, concerned about Habsburg expansion and with the Bishop of Chur quarrelling with Austria, the Three Leagues formed an alliance with the Swiss Confederation. In 1499 the Swabian War broke out between the Three Leagues and Austria and quickly expanded to include the Confederation. During the war troops from Chur fought under

793-578: 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. The Gemeinderat of Chur for the mandate period of 2021–2024 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

854-514: Is linked by a motorway—the A13 . 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,

915-818: Is the capital and largest town of the Swiss canton of the Grisons and lies in the Grisonian Rhine Valley , where the Rhine turns towards the north, in the northern part of the canton. The city, on the right bank of the Rhine, is reputedly the oldest town in Switzerland. The official language of Chur is German , but the main spoken language is the local variant of Alemannic , known as Grisonian German . Romansh and Italian are significantly spoken in

976-613: Is the meeting-point of the routes from Italy over many alpine passes ( Lukmanier Pass , Splugen Pass , and San Bernardino Pass ), as well as from the Engadine ( Albula Pass , Julier Pass ), so that it is the centre of an active trade (particularly in wine from the Valtelline ), though it also has a few local factories. The city's main railway station is where the Swiss Federal Railways system link with that of

1037-868: 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. The first church on the cathedral site was built in the first half of the 5th century. The Romanesque crypt

1098-518: The Bronze and Iron Ages have also been found in the eastern sector of the centre of the current city. These include Bronze Age Urnfield and Laugen-Melaun settlements from 1300 to 800 BC and Iron Age settlements from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC. The Roman Empire conquered the area that then came to be known as the Roman province of Raetia in 15 BC . Under emperor Diocletian (late 3rd century AD),

1159-595: 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

1220-831: The Conservative Democratic Party (BDP/PBD) lost all their 3 seats due to Dissolution and merged with former CVP. 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

1281-711: The Empire alone. After the invasion of the Ostrogoths it may have been renamed Theodoricopolis ; in the 6th century it was conquered by the Franks . The city suffered several invasions, by the Magyars in 925–926, when the cathedral was destroyed, and by the Saracens (940 and 954), but afterwards it flourished thanks to its location where the roads from several major Alpine transit routes come together and continue down

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1342-662: The Rathaus (Town Hall). 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

1403-650: The Rhaetian Railway (RhB). While the SBB lines serve most of Switzerland, most of Graubünden's internal rail traffic is served by RhB lines. One of the RhB lines (to Arosa) uses on-street running through streets in the centre of Chur and Sand in order to reach the station—see Chur Stadtbahn . There are three other railway stations in Chur: There is also a postbus station situated above the railway station. Chur

1464-480: The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). In 1944, BT added buffet cars to the trainsets . In 1947, some trains continued from Arth-Goldau to Lucerne. In 1960, operation was changed to push-pull configuration with very powerful motor coaches (BDe 4/4). The trainsets were at this time painted in green and cream. 1982 brought the clock-face timetable with a train Romanshorn–Lucerne every two hours, but also

1525-587: The Voralpen-Express also offers scenic views on the Alps and Prealps. Some notable peaks visible on the way are Pilatus , Rigi , Mythen , Speer , Churfirsten , and Säntis . The route also crosses several creeks and rivers, among others the Reuss , Biber , Alp , Sihl , Jona , Thur , and Sitter . Between 2013 and 2019, fourteen locomotives and motor coaches formed seven pairs of motive power for

1586-484: The Voralpen-Express uses the following railway lines (or sections thereof): Bodensee–Toggenburg , Uznach–Wattwil , Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke , Rapperswil–Pfäffikon , Pfäffikon–Arth-Goldau , Gotthard and Lucerne–Immensee . Besides creating a tangential link on the southern edge of the greater Zurich area , VAE is popular for the alpine and prealpine scenery. Several stations en route of Voralpen-Express are important junctions, offering timely connections due to

1647-464: The Voralpen-Express . The Re 446 locomotives were purchaised from Swiss Federal Railways (Re 4/4) in 1994 and 1996. The Re 456 locomotives were acquired by BT and named after towns along the former BT owend route. The different motive power vehicle types could not be combined. If less than five pairs were available, SOB leased a Re 420 (Re 4/4) from Swiss Federal Railways (in February 2014 it

1708-476: The synchronized Swiss timetable . The trains are used by commuters (especially during rush hour ) and tourists alike. The most important stations with connecting trains/busses, regular boat lines on the lakes, and nearby tourist destinations are: On its journey, the Voralpen-Express passes over a series of viaducts and through several tunnels . The mountainous route also parallels scenic lakes and moors . Here are some noteworthy examples: Travelling with

1769-407: The voter turnout was 45.4%. Chur is twinned with: Chur has a population (as of 31 December 2020) of 36,336. In 2008 17.8% of the population were foreign nationals and 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 and the death rate was 10.0 per thousand residents. Most of

1830-524: The 13th century the town had some 1,300 inhabitants and was surrounded by a line of walls. In the 14th century at least six fires damaged or destroyed the monasteries of St Luzi and St Nicolai and St Martin's church and twice destroyed much of the town. The Gotteshausbund (League of the House of God) was formed in 1367 in Chur to resist the rising power of the Bishopric of Chur and the House of Habsburg. Chur

1891-571: The Alpine foothills, stopping at stations in the Cantons of Lucerne , Schwyz , St. Gallen , and Appenzell Ausserrhoden . The track also passes through Samstagern in the Canton of Zurich , but VAE does not stop at that station. In conjunction with timetable changes , VAE services were suspended to some stations, including the cessation of services between St. Gallen and Romanshorn in 2013, while

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1952-733: The Bishop's Vogt Heinrich Ammann in the Lower Engadin , in Prättigau and near Balzers . Troops from Chur also took part in the 1512 invasion of the Valtellina and the Second Musso War in 1530–31. In 1523 Johannes (Dorfmann) Comander was appointed parish priest of St Martin's Church and began preaching the new faith of the Protestant Reformation . It spread rapidly and by 1525 the bishop had fled

2013-973: 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

2074-436: 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

2135-855: The Re 456 locomotives were sold to Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn (SZU), Verein Depot Schienenfahrzeuge Koblenz (DSF), and BRM Investment . [REDACTED] Media related to Voralpen-Express at Wikimedia Commons Through train Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 192037219 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:37:45 GMT Chur Chur

2196-607: The Rhine. The routes had already been used under the Romans but acquired greater importance under the Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire . Emperor Otto I granted the town the right to collect tolls in 952 and appointed his vassal Hartpert as bishop of Chur in 958, giving the bishopric further privileges. In 1170 the bishop became a prince-bishop and kept total control over the road between Chur and Chiavenna . In

2257-466: The adult population, 4,770 people or 14.5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 5,517 or 16.7% are 30 to 39, 4,616 or 14.0% are 40 to 49 and 4,254 or 12.9% are 50 to 59. 3,090 people or 9.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 2,314 or 7.0% are 70 to 79, there are 1,307 or 4.0% who are 80 to 89, 233 or 0.7% who are 90 to 99 and 5 who are 100 or more. In 2015 there were 15,557 single residents, 13,722 people who were married or in

2318-471: The agricultural land has decreased by 87 ha (210 acres). 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

2379-477: The bishop’s power waning as he came increasingly under the influence of the nearby Habsburg County of Tyrol , the citizens sent a delegation to Emperor Frederick III . The Emperor reconfirmed the historic rights of Chur and also granted them extensive new rights which freed the city from the bishop's power. In 1465 the citizens wrote a constitution that granted all governmental power to Chur's guilds. All government positions were restricted to guild members, allowing

2440-549: The city and Protestant services were taking place in the churches of St Martin and St Regula. The Ilanz articles of 1524 and 1526 allowed each resident of the Three Leagues to choose their religion and sharply reduced the political and secular power of the Bishop of Chur and all monasteries in League territory. By 1527 all of Chur except the bishop's estates had adopted the Reformation. On 1 January 1529 Abbot Theodore Schlegel

2501-513: The city as a result of the trilingual identity of the canton. On 1 January 2020 the former municipality of Maladers merged into Chur and on 1 January 2021 Haldenstein also merged. Archaeological evidence of settlement at the site, in the Eastern Alps , goes back as far as the Pfyn culture (3900-3500 BC), making Chur one of the oldest settlements in Switzerland. Remains and objects from

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2562-531: The city. Two years later, on 21 October 1576, another 53 houses were burned. Two years after the 1576 fire, the perpetrator, Hauptmann Stör, was executed. After the Napoleonic Wars the Three Leagues became the canton of Graubünden in 1803. The guild constitution of the city of Chur lasted until 1839 and in 1874 the Burgergemeinde was replaced by an Einwohnergemeinde . When Graubünden became

2623-648: The coaches and motor coaches had the typical white, green and blue livery and sported the former Voralpen-Express logo, the locomotives were frequently used as mobile advertising hoardings or showed the SOB livery. The Revvivo coaches were in use for VAE until December 2019. They were afterwards sold to Le Train des Mouttes (a heritage railway ) in France and MÁV Rail Tours in Hungary . The Re 446 locomotives were purchaised by Eisenbahndienstleister GmbH (EDG), while

2684-503: The daily operation, and a sixth set was available in Herisau as a reserve. It allowed to exchange the sets in order to clean and maintain them. The six sets were either formed from two locomotives with seven coaches: or with two motor coaches and six coaches: The seventh pair of locomotives was kept as an additional reserve. Thus, if one motor coach RBDe needed maintenance, an additional set with locomotives could have been formed. While

2745-406: 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, with an average of 112 mm (4.4 in) of precipitation over an average of 11.2 days. The driest month of the year

2806-454: The end for buffet cars on this route. In 1991, BT and SOB bought inter-city coaches, model EW IV ( Einheitswagen IV , Swiss standard coaches IV), to replace the push-pull sets. The name Voralpen-Express appeared for the first time in railway guides in 1992. In 1995, additional, unnamed trains every two hours operated between Romanshorn and Arth-Goldau, again with push-pull sets. After Revvivo coaches had been used for these trains from 1997 on, it

2867-678: The entrance to the deep-cut valley Schanfigg. 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 and the Churer Hausberg Brambrüesch (accessible from the Old Town ) is 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

2928-567: The existing settlement of Curia Raetorum (later Chur) was made the capital of the newly established province of Raetia prima . In the 4th century Chur became the seat of the first Christian bishopric north of the Alps. Despite a legend assigning its foundation to an alleged British king, St Lucius, the first known bishop is one Asinio in AD 451. The bishop soon acquired great temporal powers, especially after 831 when his dominions were made dependent on

2989-649: The guilds to regulate all aspects of life in Chur. Since guild membership had become the only route to political power, local patricians and nobles quickly became guild members, often joining the winemakers guild. The Chur-led League of the House of God allied with the Grey League and the League of the Ten Jurisdictions in 1471 to form the Three Leagues . In 1489 Chur obtained the right to have

3050-408: The population (as of 2000 ) speak German (81.0%), with Italian being second most common (6.4%) and Romansh being third (5.3%). As of 2000 the gender distribution of the population was 47.9% male and 52.1% female. 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 or 4.9% are 10 to 14 and 2,194 teenagers or 6.7% are 15 to 19. Of

3111-431: 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. 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

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3172-425: 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%. The historical population is given in the following chart: 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

3233-415: The train service was limited to St. Gallen–Lucerne. VAE became a distinct train category , indicated as such on platform displays . To cope with the increasing number of passengers, trains at that time generally had seven coaches, which means that two locomotives or motor coaches were needed. This is due to the 50‰ (1:20) grades between Pfäffikon and Arth-Goldau. Motive power was at each end, allowing

3294-639: Was Re 421 393), which could be used together with a Re 446. Thirty-one air-conditioned Revvivo coaches, 1997/99 rebuilts from EW I coaches ( Einheitswagen I , Swiss standard coaches I), were the backbone of the VAE coaching stock. Ten NPZ vehicles (1991/95) were later added to the stock to allow for enough capacity. Four older coaches were kept as a reserve, but the Revvivo prototype of 1995 (BR 748) had been withdrawn. The sets included first class coaches (A), bistro coaches with vending machines (BR), second class coaches (B), and part first part second class control trailers (ABt). Five trainsets were needed for

3355-428: 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 a 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. Chur is 120 kilometres (75 miles) by rail from Zürich, and

3416-455: Was February with an average of 47 mm (1.9 in) of precipitation over 6.6 days. 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

3477-415: Was decided to sell the EW IV to Swiss Federal Railways and buy more Revvivos to allow an hourly push-pull trainset between Romanshorn and Lucerne. In 2001, BT and SOB merged into the new SOB , which reduced the number of participating companies to two. VAE ran as an InterRegio (IR) express train until 2013. The concept changed on 15 December 2013. SOB became the sole operator of Voralpen-Express , and

3538-437: Was originally built as propaganda for the Nazi regime. Chur has an area (as of the 2004/09 survey) of 54.33 km (20.98 sq mi). About 17.6% is used for agricultural purposes and 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

3599-417: Was probably built under Bishop Tello (758–73). It contains remarkable paintings by Albrecht Dürer and Hans Holbein . The current building was built between 1154 and 1270. In 1272 it was dedicated to Saint Mary of the Assumption. The round arch window along the center axis is the largest medieval window in Graubünden. The late- Gothic high altar was completed in 1492 by Jakob Russ. The Church of St. Luzi

3660-418: Was publicly beheaded. Bishop Thomas Planta, a friend of St Charles Borromeo, tried, but without success, to suppress Protestantism. He died, probably poisoned, on 5 May 1565. During the 16th century the German language started to prevail over Romansh . In 1479 about 300 houses and stalls burned in another fire. Nearly a century later, on 23 July 1574, a fire destroyed 174 houses and 114 stalls, or about half

3721-406: Was the chief town of the League and one of the places the League’s assemblies met regularly. A burgmeister (mayor) of Chur is first mentioned in 1413. The bishop's residence was attacked by the inhabitants in 1418 and 1422, when a series of concessions were wrung out of him. On 27 April 1464 most of the town was destroyed in a fire, which only the bishop's estates and St Luzi monastery survived. With

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