Zillis-Reischen ( rm, Ziràn-Reschen) is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

Viamala Region Viamala Region is one of the eleven administrative districts in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It had an area of and a population of (as of ).. It was created on 1 January 2017 as part of a reorganization of the Canton. Merger ...

in the

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports * Swiss Internation ...

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

of Graubünden.

History

Zillis-Reischen was created in 1875 with the union of the previously independent municipalities of Reischen and Zillis. Zillis was first mentioned in the first half of the 9th Century as ''Ciranes''. Reischen was first mentioned in 1219 as ''de Rexeno''. The municipality site was certainly inhabited even earlier, as a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

settlement and graves from the 6th or 7th century indicate. A treasure trove of 10th Century coins that were found near the village indicate that there was trade over the Viamala pass by this time. The first church in Zillis dates from about the 5th Century. The three-

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

church is from the 8th Century, and around 840 the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

of St. Martin was first mentioned. In 940 King

Otto I Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the oldest son of He ...

gave the Zillis Church to the

Bishop of Chur The Bishop of Chur (German: ''Bischof von Chur'') is the ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chur, Grisons, Switzerland (Latin: ''Dioecesis Curiensis'').Schams and Rheinwald. In 1473 the Viamala road over the Alps opened, which increased traffic on the

Splügen Splügen ( Romansh: ''Spleia'', Italian: ''Spluga'') is a former municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2006 Splügen incorporated its neighbouring municipality of Medels im Rheinwald. On 1 January ...

and

San Bernardino pass San Bernardino Pass ( it, Passo del San Bernardino, german: Bernhardinpass, ) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the Hinterrhein (river), Hinterrhein and the Mesolcina (Misox) valleys between Thusis (canton of Graubünden) and B ...

es. The villages flourished with this increased trade. In 1530-35 Zillis and Reischen converted during the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

. In 1818-23 the Viamala road was expanded with a wider road, which brought increased trade into the villages.

Geography

Zillis-Reischen is located in the valley of the Hinterrhein. Zillis-Reischen has an area, , of . Of this area, 32.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 42.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (22.9%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). Before 2017, the municipality was located in the Schams sub-district, of the Hinterrhein district, after 2017 it was part of the Viamala Region. In 1875, the municipality expanded with the unification of the previously independent municipalities of Reischen and Zillis.Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz
published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 23 September 2009

Demographics

Zillis-Reischen has a population (as of ) of . , 6.8% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 6.7%.
accessed 7 October 2009 , the gender distribution of the population was 52.6% male and 47.4% female.Graubunden in Numbers
accessed 21 September 2009 The age distribution, , in Zillis-Reischen is; 46 people or 13.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old. 23 people or 7.0% are 10 to 14, and 15 people or 4.5% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 23 people or 7.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 50 people or 15.2% are 30 to 39, 47 people or 14.2% are 40 to 49, and 37 people or 11.2% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 34 people or 10.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 32 people or 9.7% are 70 to 79, there are 18 people or 5.5% who are 80 to 89, and there are 5 people or 1.5% who are 90 to 99.Graubunden Population Statistics
accessed 21 September 2009 In the

2007 federal election This electoral calendar 2007 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2007 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, although they are not elections. By-elections are not ...

the most popular party was the SVP which received 49.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP (23.7%), the

SPS SPS may refer to: Law and government * Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the WTO * NATO Science for Peace and Security * Single Payment Scheme, an EU agricultural subsidy * The Standard Procurement System, ...

(18.1%) and the CVP (7.8%). In Zillis-Reischen about 70.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a ''

Fachhochschule A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied art ...

''). Zillis-Reischen has an unemployment rate of 1.24%. , there were 38 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 12 businesses involved in this sector. 106 people are employed in the

secondary sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construc ...

and there are 8 businesses in this sector. 52 people are employed in the

tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...

, with 22 businesses in this sector. The historical population is given in the following table:

Languages

Most of the population () speaks German (79.7%), with Romansh being second most common (12.7%) and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

being third ( 2.1%).

Heritage sites of national significance

The ''S. Martegn/St Martin's Church'', the ''Cave under Hasenstein'' (a

cult site) and the ''Wildener- and Premoli-Bridges'' are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance.Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance
21 November 2008 version, accessed 7 October 2009 The first church in Zillis dates from about the 5th Century. The three-apse church is from the 8th Century, and around 840 the parish church of St. Martin was first mentioned. In 1130/40 the famous romanesque painted timber ceiling was added. File:Kirchendecke Zillis.jpg, Decorated ceiling in S. Martegn/St Martin's Church File:ZillisKirche.JPG, St. Martin's in Zillis File:SDIM1651.jpg, Vaulted ceiling of St. Martin's church

References

External links

Official website
* * *

{{Authority control Municipalities of Graubünden Cultural property of national significance in Graubünden Populated places established in 1875