Brienz/Brinzauls facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brienz/Brinzauls
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Brienz/Brinzauls Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Brienz/Brinzauls Location in Canton of Graubünden Show map of Canton of Graubünden
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Graubünden
District	Albula
Area
• Total	13.37 km2 (5.16 sq mi)
Elevation	1,144 m (3,753 ft)
Population
• Total	128
• Density	9.57/km2 (24.80/sq mi)
Postal code	7084
Surrounded by	Alvaneu, Alvaschein, Lantsch/Lenz, Surava, Tiefencastel
Twin towns	Brienz, Bern (Switzerland)

Brienz/Brinzauls (which is Brinzauls in the Romansh language) used to be a small town, called a municipality, in Switzerland. It was located in the canton of Graubünden.

On January 1, 2015, Brienz/Brinzauls joined with several other nearby towns. These towns were Alvaschein, Mon, Stierva, Tiefencastel, Alvaneu, and Surava. Together, they formed a new, bigger municipality called Albula/Alvra. Most people in Brienz/Brinzauls speak Swiss German. A smaller group of people also speak Romansh.

History of Brienz/Brinzauls

Early Beginnings of Brienz/Brinzauls

Brienz/Brinzauls was first mentioned in old writings around the year 840. Back then, it was known as Brienzola. By the 1100s, the village had become an important place for trade and business. This was especially true for the Bishop of Chur, a powerful church leader.

In 1259, records show that the Lords of Brienz owned a strong tower in the village. This tower later fell apart and was removed in 1880. For many years, until 1851, Brienz/Brinzauls was part of a special area called the Herrschaft of Belfort.

Changes and Challenges in the Village

Between 1869 and 1883, Brienz/Brinzauls and the nearby village of Surava were joined together. They became one single political municipality. In 1874, a big fire caused a lot of damage in Brienz/Brinzauls. Many buildings were harmed or destroyed.

The village church was also first mentioned in 840. In 1519, St. Calixtus became the special protector of this church. In 1526, the church became its own separate parish, no longer part of Lantsch/Lenz. Later, in 1725, Surava formed its own church parish, separating from Brienz/Brinzauls.

Connecting to the World and Language Shifts

From 1870 to 1873, a road called the Landwasserstrasse was built. This road helped connect Brienz/Brinzauls to other parts of the country. It made travel and trade much easier.

Starting in the 1960s, the number of farmers in the area began to decrease. However, farming still remained an important job. In 1990, about 43% of all jobs in the municipality were in agriculture. The language spoken in the village also changed over time. In 1860, everyone spoke Romansh. By 1990, only 58% of the people still spoke it.

The Big Rockfall Event of 2023

On May 9, 2023, something very serious happened. All the people living in Brienz/Brinzauls were told to leave their homes. This was because experts, called geologists, warned that a huge amount of rock from the mountain above might fall. They thought about 2 million cubic meters of rock could collapse into the valley where the village is. At that time, fewer than 100 people lived in the village.

Some scientists thought this rockfall might be linked to climate change. They believed melting glaciers in the Alps could be making the ground less stable. However, other experts disagreed. They said there was no clear link to climate change or melting ice. They also noted that the amount of rain didn't seem to affect how fast the slope was moving. Because of the danger, two roads and a railway line were also closed.

As predicted, a very large rockfall happened on the night of June 15–16, 2023. Luckily, the rocks stopped just before reaching the village. No buildings were damaged, and no one was hurt. On July 3, officials said it was safe for people to return home. However, they also said that future evacuations might still be needed if the mountain becomes unstable again.

Geography of Brienz/Brinzauls

Where Brienz/Brinzauls Is Located

Before it merged with other towns, Brienz/Brinzauls covered an area of about 13.4 square kilometers (about 5.2 square miles). A little over 22% of this land was used for farming. More than half, about 50%, was covered by forests. About 2% of the land had buildings or roads. The rest, about 24%, was made up of non-productive areas like rivers, glaciers, or mountains.

The village is located north of the Albula River. It sits on a road that goes from Lenzerheide to Davos. Brienz/Brinzauls is a type of village called a Haufendorf. This means it's an unplanned village with buildings packed closely together around a central area. It is built on a flat area, like a terrace, above the river.

The municipality included the main village of Brienz/Brinzauls. It also included a tiny settlement called Vazerol, which is near the Julier Pass. Until 1996, the village was simply known as Brienz (GR).

People and Life in Brienz/Brinzauls

Population and Languages

In 2013, Brienz/Brinzauls had a population of 128 people. In 2008, a small part of the population, about 1.9%, were people from other countries. Over the ten years before 2013, the number of people living in the village slowly went down.

In the year 2000, most people (68.4%) spoke German. The rest (31.6%) spoke Romansh. The population was split evenly between males and females, with 50% of each.

Age Groups and Education

Looking at the age groups in 2000:

• 12% of the people were between 0 and 9 years old.
• About 7% were 10 to 14 years old.
• Less than 2% were 15 to 19 years old.
• About 10% were 20 to 29 years old.
• About 16% were 30 to 39 years old.
• About 14% were 40 to 49 years old.
• About 4% were 50 to 59 years old.
• About 20% were 60 to 69 years old.
• About 13% were 70 to 79 years old.
• A very small number, less than 2%, were 80 to 89 years old.

People in Switzerland generally have good education. In Brienz/Brinzauls, about 66% of adults (aged 25–64) had finished high school or gone on to higher education, like university.

Jobs and Economy

Brienz/Brinzauls had a very low unemployment rate, meaning almost everyone who wanted a job had one. In 2005, there were 10 people working in the primary economic sector. This sector includes jobs like farming and forestry. There were four businesses in this area.

Six people worked in the secondary sector. This includes jobs like manufacturing and construction. There were two businesses in this sector. Four people worked in the tertiary sector. This includes jobs like services, tourism, and retail. There were two businesses in this sector.

Historical Population Numbers

Here's how the population of Brienz/Brinzauls changed over many years:

Images for kids

• 

  Hillside near Vazerol, with a memorial about the joining of the Three Leagues

• 

  An aerial view of the village from 1954

See also

In Spanish: Brienz/Brinzauls para niños