Surava

Surava

Surava is a municipality in the district of Belfort, district of Albula in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.

The four other municipalities of the Belfort Alvaneu, Brienz / Brinzauls, Schmitten and Lantsch / Lenz.

To the north above the village, but on the municipality of Brienz / Brinzauls, lie the ruins of the castle of Belfort.

History

In 1869, the municipality Surava gave up their independence and merged with Brienz / Brinzauls to the municipality Brienz- Surava. Already in 1883, after only 14 years, the fusion partner parted again. Brienz / Brinzauls Surava and have since declined independent political communities. Surava is now almost twice as large as Brienz / Brinzauls with only 104 inhabitants, with around 200 inhabitants.

Coat of arms

The arrangement of the figures shows the coat of arms of the municipality name: Across the water, the Albula the dragon as an attribute of St. George ( Saint), the local church's patron saint. The coat of arms colors are taken from the coat of arms of Vazer.

Population

Languages

The traditional language of Inhabitants Surmeirisch, a local dialect of Romansh. 1888 was still 82 % of the population Romansh. But until 1910 this figure had plummeted to 64%. After that, the language situation to 1941 (59%) stabilized somewhat. Since then, the Romanesque steadily losing in importance. While 1970 was a stalemate with 91 German and Romansh 90, the German language has now acquired a clear overweight. The authorities have also taken part in the language change, although at least 30% of the population understand Romansh. The following table shows the development in the last decades:

Origin and nationality

Of the 200 residents in late 2005 were 188 ( = 94%) Swiss nationals.

Economy

Due to the water power of the Mulognbaches himself Surava developed previously for small industrial site with a biscuit factory, a forge, a pottery, a match factory, a mill and a dyeing. Again, the glass wool was invented and patented. Imaginative Suravaner have realized the construction of the first Swiss Skate rice train here.

Attractions

• Catholic Church Son Gieri (St. George) of 1611. Above the church door was the emblem of the dragon slayer attached. The side altars are from out of the year in 1662.
• Crap Furo, the geometric center of the canton of Graubünden. This rock tower made ​​of soft limestone from 100 m altitude in the south of Surava points with his impressive appearance on the top of the 3159 meters high Piz Mitgel.
• The 1903 almost includes original station building Surava station was chosen as the most beautiful railway station in Europe 2004.

Skateline

Since 2003, the village has the first Skateline Switzerland, a skating rink which leads into the valley with a slight inclination. The Skateline in Surava is three kilometers long and covers a height of 40 meters.

Personalities

Peter Surava born as Hans Werner Hirsch, was a Swiss journalist and writer. In the early summer of 1995 Peter Hart Surava was made an honorary citizen of the community Surava.