Fuorn Pass

View from the summit to the north

The Ofen Pass ( rätoroman. Pass dal Fuorn ) is a pass at 2,149 m above sea level. M. in the Swiss canton of Grisons between Zernez in Engadine and Val Müstair.

Starting from Zernez crosses the well-developed Ofenpassstrasse B 28 to the north on the Swiss National Park and reached after 19.1 kilometers just outside the park, the pass. Already 7.1 km more can be diverted to the Munt la Shera tunnel to get into the Italian Livigno.

In Atlas Tyrolensis of 1774 Pass to the village Tschierv in the Munster is called " Tschirfser Jöchl ".

3.2 Ofenberg web

History

Stone Age

The today, despite logging forested watershed of the Ofen Pass has always been a transition from the Adige to the Inn valley. The findings of Ova Spin, 11 kilometers north- west of the summit, bear Neolithic character, suggesting an already then use.

Roman

The Romans put on no road, but led a mule track over the pass that created the compounds of the Via Claudia Augusta with Graubunden passes.

Middle Ages

In the early Middle Ages the importance of the route Engadine Vinschgau rose, although it is unclear whether they actually initially led over the Ofen Pass. As a taberna Ardez is mentioned to Carolingian times on the way from Chur over the Julier to Müstair, the then traffic can be a different course; so led (perhaps) a him of prompt Passweg by Val S -charl over the Pass da Val Costainas Müstair.

Mining

The furnace pass takes its name from the former iron melts, the processed once in pass nearby iron ore from nearby mines. Not far from the still -used routes are the remains and ruins can be observed in the landscape, especially the brick furnaces are very striking. The need for wood was enormous for huts such as mines, so the formerly numerous forests were cut down far to the pass. Despite some subsequent reforestation damage can still be seen today.

1332 gave Ulrich von Lenzburg in his capacity as Bishop of Chur of the family of Planta the right to mine in the area of the Ofen Pass on Munt Buffalora. Then, using hammer and chisel or with firesetting several tunnels were created, whose total length is estimated to be about 14 kilometers. The settlement of miners and associated with mining trades (Kohler, forest workers, iron smelters, transport workers ), which consisted of about 20 buildings, was on today's feast of the Alp Buffalora.

Established in 1489 Sigismondo de Zenoni from Bormio another mining company at the Ofen Pass in the range of Murteras because Grimmels that due to lack of yield, however, its operation had to stop after just six years. The Swabian War brought the mining industry from 1499 then complete standstill.

A new mining attempt was made in 1580 under John of Salis -Samedan. Technologically, a notable step forward has been made since the previous Rennöfen now replaced by blast furnaces and molten pig iron could be produced. Since the iron ore deposits in the mining areas Munt Buffalora and Murteras because Grimmels but were already exhausted or too little productive, necessary for smelting the ore out of the room Bormio was transported to the furnace through. Here stood in contrast to the space Bormio, still sufficient forest resources for smelting available. Over time, these transportation goal proved unprofitable, so that smelting was discontinued in the early 17th century.

In 1684 it was with Johann Heinrich von Planta again a member of the family of Planta, under which the last mining period began on the Ofen Pass. From Plantation had at Il Fuorn on the foundations of an old furnace a new blast furnace ( Flössofen ) build. The ores required to melt again came largely from Bormio. But even these smelting was probably set after a few years. The ruins of the furnace from 1684 has been preserved until today.

Traffic

The original mule track led on the north ramp still mid-19th century by Ova Spin out via Champlönch to the pass.

1871 was the construction of the present carriage road. She follows today, although exposed, but with significantly less slope to the main valley and the Ova dal Fuorn (German Ofenbach ). The construction is related to the construction of the modern Engadine valley road of 1865, today's main road 27, and the construction of Flüelepassstrasse of 1867.

Furnace mountain railway

In the period from 1895 to 1914 never came unrealized ideas to build a furnace mountain railway to connect the Swiss Lower Engadine over the Ofen Pass to the Upper Vinschgau South Tyrol.

National park

In the populated until the late 19th century by wolves and bears, in wildlife -rich area of the Swiss National Park was founded in 1914. The section of the pass road from Ova Spin via Il Fuorn to Buffalora on the north ramp is as its only road part of today's national park. The pass and the south ramp located outside the park.

Trivia

2004 was discovered during the Ofen Pass the biggest Hallimaschklon Europe. The 1000 -year-old mushroom has an estimated diameter of 500 to 800 meters.

In July 2005, the brown bear JJ2 was spotted at the pass. Bears were extinct in Switzerland since 1904.

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