With Seal and Security – a Donation of Salt from the 16th Century

Graubünden had an abundance of everything “necessary for the preservation of human life,” wrote the scholar Johann Ludwig Lehmann around 1800 – except for one vital resource: salt. However, he noted that the people of Graubünden purchased salt from neighbouring countries at low prices.

Salt indeed had to be imported into Graubünden in significant quantities. It is an essential nutrient for both humans and animals. The mineral was, and still is, used in cooking, preserving food, and given to livestock to lick. Beyond that, salt was an indispensable material in tanneries and potteries.

However, was salt truly inexpensive? For those without assets or income, it was simply unaffordable. Donations of salt provided some relief. One such instance is documented in the Archiv communal in Ilanz/Glion. The deed, written on parchment and bearing a seal from 1568, states: “Hans Högerli, citizen and resident of Ilanz, and his spouse Barbla, donate an annual amount of 24 Kriner of salt (approx. 12 kilos / 26,5 pounds) to St Martin's Church (Ober-Ilanz) for the poor, with their property in Spineu as security.” In doing so, the donor couple combined their charitable intentions with guarantees for the salt suppliers.