Samedan

Samedan
Coat of arms
Samedan
Location of Samedan
Coordinates: 46°32′N 9°52′E / 46.533°N 9.867°E / 46.533; 9.867Coordinates: 46°32′N 9°52′E / 46.533°N 9.867°E / 46.533; 9.867
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Graubünden
District	Maloja
Government
• Mayor	Gemeindepräsident Thomas Nievergelt (as of 2008)
Area[1]
• Total	113.83 km2 (43.95 sq mi)
Elevation	1,721 m (5,646 ft)
Population (Dec 2013[2])
• Total	3,007
• Density	26/km2 (68/sq mi)
Postal code	7503
SFOS number	3786
Surrounded by	Bergün/Bravuogn, Bever, Celerina/Schlarigna, Lanzada (IT-SO), La Punt-Chamues-ch, Pontresina, Sankt-Moritz, Sils im Engadin/Segl, Silvaplana
Twin towns	Le Mont-sur-Lausanne (Switzerland)
Website	www.samedan.ch SFSO statistics

Samedan ( [saˈmedən] ) is a town and municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.

History

A photograph of Samedan in the circa 1870s.

Another photographic view of Samedan in the circa 1870s.

Samedan is first mentioned in 1139 as Samaden. In 1334 it was mentioned as Semeden, in 1367 as Semaden, in 1498 as Sumada and in 1527 as Sameden.^[3] Samedan is the location of The Smallest Whiskey Bar on Earth, the establishment holding the Guinness World Records distinction of "Smallest Permanently Licensed Bar in the World."

Geography

Samedan town hall in winter

Samedan has an area, as of 2006, of 114 km² (44 sq mi). Of this area, 16.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 9.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.9% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (72.9%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).^[4]

The municipality is located in the Oberengadin sub-district of the Maloja district in the central Oberengadin valley along the Inn river. It consists of the village of Samedan and the hamlet of Punt Muragl, the upper section of the Val Bever as well as an exclave that includes nearly the entire Val Roseg, a valley surrounded by the highest mountains of the canton: Piz Bernina, Piz Scerscen and Piz Roseg. Until 1943 Samedan was known as Samaden.^[5]

Demographics

Modern houses in Samedan

Samedan has a population (as of 31 December 2013) of 3,007.^[2] As of 2008, 22.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals.^[6] Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 4.1%.^[4]

The age distribution, as of 2000, in Samedan is; 267 children or 8.7% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 155 teenagers or 5.1% are 10 to 14, and 281 teenagers or 9.2% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 460 people or 15.0% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 541 people or 17.6% are 30 to 39, 462 people or 15.1% are 40 to 49, and 385 people or 12.5% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 209 people or 6.8% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 189 people or 6.2% are 70 to 79, there are 103 people or 3.4% who are 80 to 89, and there are 17 people or 0.6% who are 90 to 99.^[6]

In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SP which received 30.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (28.7%), the FDP (28.2%) and the CVP (10.4%).^[4]

In Samedan about 75.7% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).^[4]

Samedan has an unemployment rate of 1%. As of 2005, there were 35 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 13 businesses involved in this sector. 554 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 37 businesses in this sector. 1,891 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 194 businesses in this sector.^[4]

The historical population is given in the following table:^[3]

Languages

Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (61.5%), with Romansh being second most common (16.7%) and Italian being third (14.9%).^[4] Originally, the entire population spoke the Upper-Engadin Romansh dialect of Putèr. Due to increasing trade with the outside world, Romansh usage began to decline in the 19th Century. In 1880 only 47% spoke Romansh as a first language, while in 1910 it was 45% and in 1941 it was 42%. The Romansh speaking percentage dropped until in 1970 only 31% spoke it as their first language. In the 1980s Romansh speakers increased slightly, but since then the proportion has decreased. However, in 2000 there were 42% who understood Romansh even if it wasn't their first language.

Transportation

It is the administrative center of the upper Engadin region, and services include a regional hospital (Spital Oberengadin), a major RhB railway station with regular trains towards Pontresina, Chur and St. Moritz, and a regional airport (Engadin Airport). Both the Bernina Express and Glacier Express trains pass Samedan.

Heritage sites of national significance

The Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart and the Library of Fundaziun de Planta are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance.^[7]

Climate

Koppen-Geiger climate classification classifies its climate as subarctic (Dfc). Between 1961 and 1990 Samedan had an average of 95.5 days of rain per year and on average received 700 mm (28 in) of precipitation. The wettest month was August during which time Samedan received an average of 99 mm (3.9 in) of precipitation. During this month there was precipitation for an average of 11.5 days. The driest month of the year was February with an average of 25 mm (0.98 in) of precipitation over 5 days.^[8]

Cultural references

James Bond escapes from Blofeld's base at Piz Gloria to Samedan in Ian Fleming's On Her Majesty's Secret Service where he is rescued by his future wife, Tracy.

The nineteenth century campaigner for women's rights and the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts, Josephine Butler, holidayed in Samedan in 1881 preferring it to Pontresina. She walked extensively with friends whilst her husband, because of his rheumatism, painted and sketched. He preached at the local Protestant church, which was largely run by another English clergyman Mr Eardley ^[10]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Samedan.

External links

• Official website (German)
• Samedan in Romansh, German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.

Municipalities in the district of Maloja, Switzerland Bever Bregaglia Celerina/Schlarigna Madulain Pontresina La Punt-Chamues-ch Samedan St. Moritz S-chanf Sils im Engadin/Segl Silvaplana Zuoz Graubünden Districts of Canton Graubünden Municipalities of the canton of Graubünden