The District of Oberhalbstein

	The District of Oberhalbstein, Romansh Sursées, 
comprises the whole territory of the river Julia, from the 
heights of the Julier and Septimer passes down to the gorge of 
the "Rock of Conters", Romansh "Crap Ses".  The district 
comprises the political communes of Bivio, Cunter, Marmorera, 
Mulegns, Parsonz, Riom, Rona, Salouf, Savognin, Sur, and 
Tinizong.

	The name Oberhalbstein refers to the Rock of Conters.  
Being the norther approach to the two passes Septimer and 
Julier, the valley was settled at an early date.  There is 
evidence of settlement at the end of the early Bronze Age 
period at Padnal near Savognin, and of a late Bronze Age 
settlement at Caschligns, near Cunter.  Archeological finds 
confirm that the Romans used both the Septimer and Julier 
passes, but it seems that the Julier was the main pass, shown 
by the fact that there was a sanctuary on the pass which the 
"Julier Pillars" were part of.  Further proof of a Roman route 
through Oberhalbstein is furnished by the Itinerarium Antonini, 
a list of posts along the road dating from Imperial times in 
which Tinnetio = Tinzen is named.

	At the time of the Franks, Oberhalbstein belonged to 
the Ministerium Impetinis, which also included the Albula 
valley.  The seat of the royal administration was the castle at 
Reams.  The Bishops of Chur, favoured by the Ottonic policy 
regarding passes, managed to acquire land at an early date at 
Savognin, Salux and other places.  Later they so improved their 
position in the valley that from the beginning of the 14th 
century onwards they held the sovereignty of it.  Their seat 
was again Reams Castle, where the episcopal bailiff acted as 
chief justice.  Despite this the people of the valley were able 
to secure important rights at an early date.  When the League 
of God's House was founded at Chur on 29th January 1367, 
against the policy of the Bishop, Conradin von Marmels and 
Heinrich von Fontana signed for us and all the people of God's 
House, noble and common, from above the Rock.  In 1552 the 
rights of sovereignty passed to the valley by verdict of the 
League of God's House.

	The Reformation, which came from Bergell, only went as 
far as Bivio, where there is still parity of faith today.  The 
rest of the valley adhered to the old belief.  According to 
legend this was due to the women, who opposed the reformers, 
and because of this were allowed to sit on the right-hand side 
of the church.  The practice still exists at Tinzen.

	During the counter-Reformation the Capuchins served the 
spiritual needs of the people.  There are many churches built 
by them in the Italian Baroque style, and they give the valley 
a special character.

	Its position on the important pass-routes was a 
disadvantage to Oberhalbstein when the French General, Mainoni, 
came over the Julier with his troops in 1799, and the people of 
the valley suffered greatly.

	According to the old land-division Oberhalbstein 
(excluding Bivio and Marmorera) was a High Court with two 
jurisdictions, namely, Oberhalbstein and Tiefenkastel.  Bivio, 
called Stalla by the German-speaking people of the Grisons, 
Marmorera, and Avers, formed the jurisdiction of Stalla-Avers; 
the latter, together with Remüs, formed a High Court.

	The law of 1851 divided the Canton into regions and 
districts and as a result the jurisdiction of Tiefencastel was 
taken away and the jurisdictions of Oberhalbstein and 
Stalla-Avers were united to form the District of Oberhalbstein; 
thus the boundaries corresponded with the geographical ones.

	For centuries the trade of the carriers played an 
important part in the economy, especially in the 14th century 
when, as a result of the Emperor's favour, the road over the 
Septimer was improved.  The 19th century brought the 
construction of the road across the Julier - the most important 
entrance to the Engadine.

	The people of Oberhalbstein speak Surmiran, a Romansh 
regional dialect.  By order of the Monastery of St. Luzi and 
the feudal lords of the Bishop, Walsers were settled at Alp 
Flix, Val Faller, and Val Nadró in the 13th and 14th 
centuries.  They accepted the Romansh language.  Bivio became 
partly Italianised, because of the influence of Bergell, and 
has remained bi-lingual.

Famous people from Oberhalbstein:

	Benedikt Fontana from Salux was the Bishop's bailiff at 
Reams Castle.  He was the captain of the Oberhalbstein troops 
at Calven in 1499, where he was killed in battle.  Humanists 
from the Grisons first saw him as the leader of the Rhaetian 
troops who made victory possible, but in the 19th century he 
became the national hero of the Grisons.

	Alexander Lozza (1870-1953) from Marmotera, joined the 
Capuchin order as was for many years a priest at Salour, and 
chaplain of Ziteil - the most popular place of pilgrimage in 
the Canton.  His short stories and poems in the vernacular of 
the valley made him the recognised spokesman for the linguistic 
and cultural individuality of Sursés.

	District Coat of Arms:  Silver, chief enty sable with 
lily sable thereon.  Blazonry:  The black pointed field 
symbolises the term "above the rock", the lily refers to the 
national hero Benedikt Fontana, whose seal, showing a silver 
lily in black, goes back to 1491.  District colours: 
white-black.