Schorsch-Haus «uf am Büel»

In front of you stands one of the oldest manor houses in Splügen. It was already standing

here when the construction of the church began. It belonged to the family of

Schorsch, one of the most influential families in the valley. It is probably already in the

Middle Ages immigrated from Lombardy to the Rhine Forest - the name derives

differed from the Italian 'Giorgio', Giorgio became Schorsch here. The

The Schorschs became rich through the trade over the passes and many Giorgios

made careers for centuries as Landammänner, civil servants and

Officers – they were important, even far beyond the valley.

They held important offices in the Free State of the Three Leagues, such as the

state predecessor of the canton of Graubünden.

The building, which combines two houses under one roof, immediately attracts attention. It

stands freely on the slope and looks much larger and more important than the

surrounding farmhouses. This is how the family demonstrated their prosperity

and their social rank. In the 17th century, a stone house like

this is a real status symbol. Most people lived in

much simpler wooden buildings.

It is particularly interesting that this house survived the large village fire of

1716. Many other buildings were destroyed and had to be

rebuilt. The Schorsch House, on the other hand, was preserved and

still gives us an impression of a Splügner manor house from before

of the fire disaster. If you look at the façade, you can see a

Coat of arms stone with an inscription from 1674. He reminds us

still today to the builders and their claim to create something lasting.

create. Do you notice the wide variety of different windows? They

points to various renovations to the house over time.