The Catastrophe and the Emperor – about a Deed from 1464

The four centuries of the five guilds: this might serve as a brief summary of Chur’s history from 1464 onwards. And, in keeping with this short description, the story begins with a catastrophe and an emperor.

The catastrophe: In late April 1464, the town of Chur is ablaze, and the town hall burns to the ground – including the old deeds that had been kept there. Shortly thereafter, the townspeople of Chur dispatch their town clerk to the emperor in Vienna.

The emperor: Frederick III is asked to confirm the old rights of the town’s inhabitants. The emperor gives his confirmation – and also grants the townspeople of Chur authorisation to establish guilds. The five craftsmen's associations (winegrowers, shoemakers, tailors, blacksmiths, and bakers) subsequently become the most important political force in Chur.

However, Frederick III does even more, as a deed preserved in the town’s archive (Stadtarchiv Chur) shows. He introduces new measures to aid the reconstruction process. Half of the land and ground rents are waived for six years for those affected by the fire. The other half of the rents is to be used for the reconstruction of the town.