Stamped on – How a Simple Tool Inflicted Lasting Suffering

Many of the local museums in Graubünden are small. However, this by no means indicates that they have little to offer. The Gillis Museum in Sufers, for instance, a combination of family and local museum, brings together artefacts from four centuries in a very small space. The Museum's items range from bulldog clips to tin dishes.

Nestled among household and agricultural objects, an elegant stamp can be found as well. The stamp, severely stained with ink marks, made of wood, copper, and brass, would inflict lasting suffering on many people: it was used to imprint official seals onto so-called Pfandbriefe (a type of bond where the creditor can claim against the specified assets as security in case of default of payment).

During the time that it was used, it was not uncommon in smaller towns for the head of the municipality to carry out his duties from his own home, since there was no separate administrative building. This is also the case regarding today's Gillis Museum. Thus, in addition to the stamp, corresponding Pfandbriefe are also preserved in the Museum. However, these written documents can only give a vague idea of the personal histories and suffering of impoverished, indebted people.