The District of Rheinwald


	The District of Rheinwald comprises the upper part of 
the Hinterrhein valley, from the Rheinwaldhorn to the Rofla 
gorge, with the political communes of Hinterrhein, Medels 
i.Rh., Nufenen, Splügen, and Sufers.  The German name 
Rheinwald goes back to the Latin "in valle Reni" (documentary 
evidence 1274) and was interpreted by popular etymology as 
"Wald" (forest), as the bottom of the valley from Medels 
upwards could hardly have been cleared in 1300.  (Schorta).

	The Splügen and San Bernardino passes account for the 
great importance of this region.  It may be assumed that they 
were in existence in pre-historic times.  There is evidence 
that both passes were in use in Roman times.  Archeological 
research on the San Bernardino, made possible by the 
construction of modern national roads, has uncovered "the 
remnants of a great road going back to pre-mediaval times".  
One archeologist dates it as Roman, whereas other experts are 
more cautious.

	What we consider today as one political and 
geographical unit, was divided up to the time of the 15th 
century.  Lower Rheinwald, from the Rofla gorge up to the top 
of the Splügen pass and as far as Medels, belonged to Schams 
and thus came under the Barons of Vaz, who held it in feudal 
tenure from the Bishop of Chur.  Splügen and Medels were 
Romansh-speaking at that time, and belonged to the parochial 
district of Schams.  Upper Rheinwald up to the Vogelberg (San 
Bernardino), i.e., the territory of Nufenen and Hinterrhein, 
was probably only a region of forests and pastures before the 
Walsers settled there, except for a church at Sax-Misox and a 
hospice.

	The Lords of Sax-Misox settled Walsers from Val 
Formazza in this region in 1274.  According to a feudal 
contract dating from 1286 the Collegiate Church at Roveredo 
gave a group of Walsers land in Rheinwald as hereditary fief.  
The church made this contract with the agreement of the 
bailiff, Johann Heinrich of Sax-Misox.  In the contract nine 
Walsers are mentioned as having come from Pomat, and four from 
Simpeln, which proves that the Walsers in Rheinwald came from 
the south across the San Bernardino.  The Barons of Vaz soon 
settled Walsers in lower Rheinwald.  In 1277 Walter V of Vaz 
took all Germann people living in Rheinwald, from the valley of 
Schams as far as the Vogelberg, under his protection.  Thus the 
Lord of Vaz claimed sovereignty in the territory of Sax-Misox.

	The original colony of Walsers in Rheinwald spread, and 
settlements sprang up in the neighbouring regions of Vals, 
Safien, Avers, and other places belonging to the Barons of Vaz, 
until this line died out in 1338.  The sovereign rights of 
Rheinwald and Schams then passed to the Werdenberg-Sargans 
family.  In 1456 they sold their rights in Schams to the 
Bishop, retaining only the upper and lower Rheinwald.  Thus the 
Rofla gorge became the boundary between Schams and Rheinwald.

	In 1360 the people of Schams and Rheinwald rose against 
the Werdenbergs and forced the Lords to respect the treaties 
their subjects had made.  Even before 1400 the Werdenbergs and 
the people of Rheinwald had joined the League of Ilanz, founded 
in 1395.  The document of Truns dated 1424 names " the 
magistrate and commune in Rheinwald (Rinwald)" as independent 
contracting parties, with two judges in the courts.

	In 1463 Duke Jörg of Werdenberg-Sargans sold the 
rights of jurisdiction of Rheinwald to Gian Giacomo Trivulzio.  
The people of Rheinwald bought the remaining sovereign rights 
in 1616.

	During the Revolution, at the time of the second War of 
Coalition, the population suffered greatly from constant 
billeting and plundering, and they were also forced to convey 
goods.  This lasted until 1803.  In 1851 Rheinwald, which in 
the old land-division had formed a jurisdiction, became the 
District of Rheinwald.

	The transit-trade played an important part in the 
economy.  Rheinwald was a "Port", i.e., a transport 
organisation based on the commune.  From the late 15th century 
onwards the Splügen was the most important pass in the 
Grisons, and it held this position until the railways across 
the Alps were built.  In the middle of the 18th century there 
was stabling in the village of Splügen for about 500 
pack-horses; that this trade was once all-important can still 
be seen in the village today.

Famous people from Rheinwald:

	Philipp Hössli (1800-1854) was a lawyer from Nufenen.  
He was a member of the Court of Appeal for the Upper League and 
the Cantonal Court of Appeal, he edited the new code of 
Criminal Law for the Grisons.  Later he was in charge of the 
Chancellery, and when he gave up this office he became a Judge 
and President of the Great Council.  The Government elected him 
editor of the legal codex.  He was also on the board of the 
Contonal School.  On the national level he was a member of a 
committee that attempted to bring about a reconciliation in the 
War of the Sonderbund in 1847.

District Coat of Arms: Gules, a wavy skyblue bend with two 
cotices in silver and five six-pointed silver stars in the 
chief.  
Blazonry:  The wavy bend represents the Rhine and the 
stars, the five communes of the district.  
District colours:  red-white-blue.