Maienfeld
Encyclopedia
Maienfeld is a municipality
in the district of Landquart
in the Swiss
canton
of Graubünden
. It is a tourist destination in the Alps, both because of the local wine and because it was the setting of the story Heidi
.
Maienfeld lies along a key route through the Rhine Valley in the Alps
. A settlement has existed in the Maienfeld area since at least the invasion of the Roman Empire
. Prehistoric Bronze
work and a pre-Roman cellar have been found in the city and on St. Luzisteig hill. A 3rd century Roman station or settlement has been found along the old Roman Road
.
The village is first mentioned in 831 and was known as Lupinis at that time. The name of the village changed several times over the following centuries and included; Magenza, Lopine, Maging and Magen zu Luppinis. Finally, in 1295 the name Maienvelt was used, which eventually became Maienfeld.
From the mid 10th century until the mid 12th century, the counts of Bregenz
ruled Maienfeld. Their castle at Maienfeld was destroyed in 1079 by Henry IV, HRE
during the Investiture Controversy
. The current Schloss Brandis was initially built in 1270–75 by the von den Aspermont family and later by Friedrich VII, count of Toggenburg
. In 1465 it was rebuilt and expanded by the Baron
von Brandis.
Maienfeld is first mentioned as a city in 1346, however it seems to have lacked a city government (until 1437) or guilds. In 1388 Maienfeld acquired the rights to charge a toll on the Roman Road that led from Chur
over the St. Luzisteig to the north. Maienfeld also had a market, though the neighboring city of Malans
had the market right. Following the death of the Toggenburger line, Maienfeld joined the League of the Ten Jurisdictions
in 1436. In 1438 the city reached an agreement with the von Brandis and von Aarburg
(inheritors of some Toggenburg lands) families. The agreement gave Maienfeld a set of rights and gave the city the right to Low Justice over the communities of Malans and Jenins
.
During the 14th century the Walser
moved into the Maienfeld area and founded settlements that eventually became the Walser part of town. However, it would take several centuries until the Walser were granted full citizen rights. Maienfeld had been fully Romansh
before this time, but during the Germanic-speaking Walser immigration Maienfeld became Germanized. By the 16th century the region was nearly completely Germanic.
In 1509 the Three Leagues
bought Maienfeld from the von Brandis and put the city under the Protectorate of the Three Leagues. This led to an unusual situation where Maienfeld, as a voting member of the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and therefore a voting member of the Three Leagues, was also under the protection and control of the Three Leagues. Maienfeld indirectly set policy for managing Maienfeld.
in the lower Chur Rhein valley. It is bordered on the west by Bad Ragaz
, Canton of St. Gallen
and on the west and north by the community of Fläsch
, Canton Graubünden. To the north it is bordered by Balzers
, Triesen
, Schaan
, the country of Liechtenstein
, Nenzing
and Vorarlberg
, Austria. To the east is the community of Seewis im Prättigau
, Canton Graubünden. To the southwest Jenins
und Malans
, Canton Graubünden. In the south it is bordered by Igis
and Zizers
, Canton Graubünden, as well as in the southwest the community of Mastrils
, Canton Graubünden.
Maienfeld is located on the right side of the Rhein valley and includes the boroughs of; Bovel, Rofels und St. Luzisteig. St. Luzisteig is the site of an important alpine pass, which leads into Liechtenstein, and is guarded by an 18th-century fortress that is now barracks for the Swiss Army.
The old Walser settlement Stürfis was abandoned by 1633 and became a part of Maienfeld, when the inhabitants moved to Rofels. In contrast, the Walser settlement Guscha was occupied until 1969 when the last two families were bought out by the Swiss Army and the village became part of their training area.
The city of Maienfeld has an area, , of 32.4 km² (12.5 sq mi), of which about 6 km² (2.3 sq mi) or about 44.3% is used for agricultural purposes and about 10.5 km² (4.1 sq mi) or 31.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 5.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (18.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). The train station in the city is located at 502 m or 1647 ft (502 m) above sea level. The highest point in the city boundaries is the Hinterer Grauspitz
mountain, which is 2574 m (8445 ft) high. There are 2523 inhabitants in the city (as of November 2006).
, the gender distribution of the population was 50.1% male and 49.9% female. The age distribution, , in Maienfeld is; 245 children or 10.3% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 137 teenagers or 5.8% are 10 to 14, and 152 teenagers or 6.4% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 246 people or 10.4% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 404 people or 17.1% are 30 to 39, 351 people or 14.8% are 40 to 49, and 307 people or 13.0% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 203 people or 8.6% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 168 people or 7.1% are 70 to 79, there are 120 people or 5.1% who are 80 to 89, there are 34 people or 1.4% who are 90 to 99, and 1 person or 0.0% who is 100 or more.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 42% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(28.7%), the SP
(20%) and the CVP
(8%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Maienfeld about 79.1% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Maienfeld has an unemployment rate of 1.23%. , there were 199 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 63 businesses involved in this sector. 400 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 45 businesses in this sector. 656 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 111 businesses in this sector.
From the , 689 or 29.1% are Roman Catholic, while 1,384 or 58.4% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
. Of the rest of the population, there are 20 individuals (or about 0.84% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 32 individuals (or about 1.35% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There are 35 (or about 1.48% of the population) who are Islamic. There are 5 individuals (or about 0.21% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 129 (or about 5.45% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic or atheist
, and 74 individuals (or about 3.13% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
's classic book Heidi
is largely set in Maienfeld.
and Salenegg Castle
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 Landquart
Landquart (district)
Landquart District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of and has a population of .It consists of two Kreise and ten municipalities:...
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...
. It is a tourist destination in the Alps, both because of the local wine and because it was the setting of the story Heidi
Heidi
Heidi is a Swiss work of fiction, published in two parts as Heidi's years of learning and travel and Heidi makes use of what she has learned.It is a novel about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather's care, in the Swiss Alps...
.
History
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. A settlement has existed in the Maienfeld area since at least the invasion of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. Prehistoric Bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
work and a pre-Roman cellar have been found in the city and on St. Luzisteig hill. A 3rd century Roman station or settlement has been found along the old Roman Road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
.
The village is first mentioned in 831 and was known as Lupinis at that time. The name of the village changed several times over the following centuries and included; Magenza, Lopine, Maging and Magen zu Luppinis. Finally, in 1295 the name Maienvelt was used, which eventually became Maienfeld.
From the mid 10th century until the mid 12th century, the counts of Bregenz
Bregenz
-Culture:The annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele is a world-famous festival which takes place on and around a stage on Lake Constance, where a different opera is performed every second year.-Sport:* A1 Bregenz HB is a handball team....
ruled Maienfeld. Their castle at Maienfeld was destroyed in 1079 by Henry IV, HRE
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
during the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
. The current Schloss Brandis was initially built in 1270–75 by the von den Aspermont family and later by Friedrich VII, count of Toggenburg
Counts of Toggenburg
The Counts of Toggenburg ruled the Toggenburg region of today's Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, as well as parts of the Canton of Glarus, Thurgau, Grisons, Vorarlberg, and Zurich when their influence was most extensive....
. In 1465 it was rebuilt and expanded by the Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
von Brandis.
Maienfeld is first mentioned as a city in 1346, however it seems to have lacked a city government (until 1437) or guilds. In 1388 Maienfeld acquired the rights to charge a toll on the Roman Road that led from Chur
Chur
Chur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
over the St. Luzisteig to the north. Maienfeld also had a market, though the neighboring city of Malans
Malans, Switzerland
Malans is a municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Malans is first mentioned about 840 as in villa Mellanze. In 956 it was mentioned as Malanz.-Geography:...
had the market right. Following the death of the Toggenburger line, Maienfeld joined the League of the Ten Jurisdictions
League of the Ten Jurisdictions
The League of the Ten Jurisdictions was the last of the Three Leagues founded during the Middle Ages in what is now Canton Graubünden of Switzerland. The League was created in the County of Toggenburg after the counts of Toggenburg died out. The League initially existed to resist the power of the...
in 1436. In 1438 the city reached an agreement with the von Brandis and von Aarburg
Aarburg
Aarburg is a municipality in the district of Zofingen in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.The small town lies in the southwest Aargau at an Engnis Aare in the lower Wiggertal. It lies in the intersection of the most important traffic routes of Switzerland...
(inheritors of some Toggenburg lands) families. The agreement gave Maienfeld a set of rights and gave the city the right to Low Justice over the communities of Malans and Jenins
Jenins
Jenins is a municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Jenins is first mentioned in 1139 as Uienennes. In 1142 it was mentioned as Gininnes.-Geography:...
.
During the 14th century the Walser
Walser
The Walser are German-speaking people who live in the Alps of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein and Austria. The Walser people are named after the Wallis , the uppermost Rhône River valley...
moved into the Maienfeld area and founded settlements that eventually became the Walser part of town. However, it would take several centuries until the Walser were granted full citizen rights. Maienfeld had been fully Romansh
Romansh people
The Romansh people are a people and ethnic group of Switzerland, native speakers of the Romansh language. However, nowadays they almost always are multilingual, speaking also German and sometimes Italian, which are the other official language of Graubünden, the canton where they are...
before this time, but during the Germanic-speaking Walser immigration Maienfeld became Germanized. By the 16th century the region was nearly completely Germanic.
In 1509 the Three Leagues
Three Leagues
The Three Leagues was the alliance of 1471 of the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the Grey League, leading eventually to the formation of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Most of the lands of Graubünden were part of the Roman province Raetia in 15 BC...
bought Maienfeld from the von Brandis and put the city under the Protectorate of the Three Leagues. This led to an unusual situation where Maienfeld, as a voting member of the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and therefore a voting member of the Three Leagues, was also under the protection and control of the Three Leagues. Maienfeld indirectly set policy for managing Maienfeld.
Description
Maienfeld is located 8 kilometres (5 mi) southeast of SargansSargans
Sargans is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Sargans is known for its castle, which dates from before the founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291...
in the lower Chur Rhein valley. It is bordered on the west by Bad Ragaz
Bad Ragaz
Bad Ragaz is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.It is the home of a famous natural spring and is a popular spa and health resort destination. Bad Ragaz is also surprisingly known as one of the best pizza towns in all of Europe...
, Canton of St. Gallen
Canton of St. Gallen
The Canton of St. Gallen is a canton of Switzerland. St. Gallen is located in the north east of Switzerland. It covers an area of 2,026 km², and has a population of . , the population included 97,461 foreigners, or about 20.9% of the total population. The capital is St. Gallen. Spelling...
and on the west and north by the community of Fläsch
Fläsch
Fläsch is a municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Fläsch has an area, , of . Of this area, 35.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 43.8% is forested...
, Canton Graubünden. To the north it is bordered by Balzers
Balzers
Balzers is a village and community located in southern Liechtenstein. As of the 2005 census, the community has a total population of 4,420. The main part of the village is situated along the east bank of the Rhine.- History and Culture :...
, Triesen
Triesen
Triesen is the third largest of Liechtenstein's municipalities. It contains several historic churches dating from the fifteenth century. It also has a weaving mill from 1863 that's considered a historical monument. The population is around 4,600....
, Schaan
Schaan
Schaan is the largest municipality of Liechtenstein. It is located to the north of Vaduz, the capital, in the central part of the country. As of 2005 it has a population of making it the largest administrative district in Liechtenstein, and covers an area of 26.8 km², including mountains and...
, the country of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
, Nenzing
Nenzing
Nenzing is a market town in the district of Bludenz in Vorarlberg, Austria....
and Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...
, Austria. To the east is the community of Seewis im Prättigau
Seewis im Prättigau
Seewis im Prättigau is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Seewis im Prättigau is first mentioned in 1224 as de Sevve....
, Canton Graubünden. To the southwest Jenins
Jenins
Jenins is a municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Jenins is first mentioned in 1139 as Uienennes. In 1142 it was mentioned as Gininnes.-Geography:...
und Malans
Malans
Malans is the name of the following municipalities:* Malans, Doubs, a commune in the Doubs department in France* Malans, Haute-Saône, a commune in the Haute-Saône department in France* Malans, Switzerland, a municipality in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Canton Graubünden. In the south it is bordered by Igis
Igis
Igis is a municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Far more known than its proper name Igis is its hamlet Landquart, for its Rail Station and motorway exit.-History:...
and Zizers
Zizers
Zizers is a municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria-Hungary died in Zizers.-Geography:...
, Canton Graubünden, as well as in the southwest the community of Mastrils
Mastrils
Mastrils is a municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Mastrils is first mentioned in 1318 as Ponstrils. In 1345 it was mentioned as Bastrils. In 1854 the municipality separated from Zizers to become an independent municipality.-Geography:Mastrils has...
, Canton Graubünden.
Maienfeld is located on the right side of the Rhein valley and includes the boroughs of; Bovel, Rofels und St. Luzisteig. St. Luzisteig is the site of an important alpine pass, which leads into Liechtenstein, and is guarded by an 18th-century fortress that is now barracks for the Swiss Army.
The old Walser settlement Stürfis was abandoned by 1633 and became a part of Maienfeld, when the inhabitants moved to Rofels. In contrast, the Walser settlement Guscha was occupied until 1969 when the last two families were bought out by the Swiss Army and the village became part of their training area.
The city of Maienfeld has an area, , of 32.4 km² (12.5 sq mi), of which about 6 km² (2.3 sq mi) or about 44.3% is used for agricultural purposes and about 10.5 km² (4.1 sq mi) or 31.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 5.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (18.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). The train station in the city is located at 502 m or 1647 ft (502 m) above sea level. The highest point in the city boundaries is the Hinterer Grauspitz
Grauspitz
The Grauspitz is the highest mountain in Liechtenstein. The easiest route to the summit ascends over the Hinter Grauspitz , and along a class 3–4 razor ridge. It peaks at ....
mountain, which is 2574 m (8445 ft) high. There are 2523 inhabitants in the city (as of November 2006).
Demographics
Maienfeld has a population (as of ) of . , 11.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 14.4%. Most of the population speaks German (92.1%), with Portuguese being second most common ( 1.5%) and Romansh being third ( 1.4%)., the gender distribution of the population was 50.1% male and 49.9% female. The age distribution, , in Maienfeld is; 245 children or 10.3% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 137 teenagers or 5.8% are 10 to 14, and 152 teenagers or 6.4% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 246 people or 10.4% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 404 people or 17.1% are 30 to 39, 351 people or 14.8% are 40 to 49, and 307 people or 13.0% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 203 people or 8.6% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 168 people or 7.1% are 70 to 79, there are 120 people or 5.1% who are 80 to 89, there are 34 people or 1.4% who are 90 to 99, and 1 person or 0.0% who is 100 or more.
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 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...
which received 42% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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....
(28.7%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(20%) and 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...
(8%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Maienfeld about 79.1% 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...
).
Maienfeld has an unemployment rate of 1.23%. , there were 199 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 63 businesses involved in this sector. 400 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 45 businesses in this sector. 656 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 111 businesses in this sector.
From the , 689 or 29.1% are Roman Catholic, while 1,384 or 58.4% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
Swiss 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...
. Of the rest of the population, there are 20 individuals (or about 0.84% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 32 individuals (or about 1.35% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There are 35 (or about 1.48% of the population) who are Islamic. There are 5 individuals (or about 0.21% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 129 (or about 5.45% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 74 individuals (or about 3.13% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1850 | 1,232 |
| 1900 | 1,240 |
| 1950 | 1,568 |
| 1960 | 1,488 |
| 1970 | 1,542 |
| 1980 | 1,716 |
| 1990 | 1,990 |
| 2000 | 2,368 |
Tourism
Johanna SpyriJohanna Spyri
Johanna Spyri was an author of children's stories, and is best known for her book Heidi. Born Johanna Louise Heusser in the rural area of Hirzel, Switzerland, as a child she spent several summers in the area around Chur in Graubünden, the setting she later would use in her novels.-Biography:In...
's classic book Heidi
Heidi
Heidi is a Swiss work of fiction, published in two parts as Heidi's years of learning and travel and Heidi makes use of what she has learned.It is a novel about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather's care, in the Swiss Alps...
is largely set in Maienfeld.
Heritage sites of national significance
Both Brandis CastleBrandis Castle
Brandis Castle is a castle in the municipality of Maienfeld of the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-References:...
and Salenegg Castle
Salenegg Castle
Salenegg Castle is a castle in the municipality of Maienfeld of the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-References:...
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...
.