Fundaziun La Tuor, Samedan

«Car - 100 years of mobility in the Engadin»
1925 to 2025 - 100 years of car freedom in Graubünden

Exactly 100 years ago, a decision was made in the canton of Graubünden that had a lasting impact on the region: in 1925, the men of Graubünden voted to lift the ban on cars. In the Engadin in particular, this date marked the beginning of a new era - from seclusion to motorized mobility, from horse-drawn carriages to accelerated modernity. The consequences are still visible today - the landscape, infrastructure and everyday life have changed permanently since then.

What is hardly imaginable today: around 1900, cars were banned in Graubünden. The noise, dust and high speed of the new vehicles were met with disapproval. Above all, the hauliers' lobby and the Rhaetian Railway, which was in the process of being established, successfully fought against the car. The cantonal parliament responded with a general driving ban on all roads in Graubünden - a step that was unique in Europe. Vehicles were only allowed to travel under certain conditions and with special permits.

However, as tourism grew, so did the pressure: guests wanted to travel to the Engadin in their own cars, and hoteliers and innkeepers campaigned against the ban. After a tough struggle, the decision to lift the ban was made in 1925 and change began to take hold.

Roads were built, Alpine roads were widened and adapted to the new mobility. Even remote valleys and villages were now accessible by car or post bus. Driving through the Grisons mountains became an experience - the view through the windshield offered a new perspective on the Alpine landscape. As early as the 1930s and 1940s, engineers deliberately designed pass roads in such a way that they offered a particularly impressive panoramic experience.

Along with the car came the appropriate infrastructure: road construction and engineering structures on the one hand, petrol stations and parking lots on the other increasingly shaped the landscape and soon became part of everyday life.

Today, one hundred years later, the car and the buildings associated with it are still an issue: how can we continue to be mobile in a high mountain valley like the Engadin while at the same time taking climate change and ecologically sensible development into account?