View source for Chur

{{Short description|Capital of the Grisons, Switzerland}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Switzerland municipality
|subject_name         = Chur
|image_photo          = View of Chur.jpg
|image_caption        = Chur, looking upstream, to the west
|municipality_type    = town, municipality
|imagepath_flag       = CHE Chur Flag.svg
|imagepath_coa        = CHE Chur COA.svg |pixel_coa=
|canton               = Grisons
|iso-code-region      = CH-GR
|district             = [[Plessur Region|Plessur]]
|coordinates          = {{coord|46|51|N|9|32|E|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code          = 7000 Chur, 7026 [[Maladers]], 7074 [[Malix]] (partly)
|municipality_code    = 3901
|area                 = 54.26
|elevation            = 592 |elevation_description = Postplatz
|highest_m            = 2223 |highest = Tschaggo
|lowest_m             = 551 |lowest = Rhein (Halbmil)
|population           = 39,984
|website              = chur.ch
|mayor                = {{ill|Urs Marti|de|Urs Marti (Politiker)}} |mayor_asof=February 2014 |mayor_party=FDP
|mayor_title          = Stadtpräsident |list_of_mayors = List of mayors of Chur
|executive_name       = [[#Government|Stadtrat]] |executive_number_of_members = 3
|parliament_name      = [[#Parliament|Gemeinderat]] |parliament_number_of_members = 21
|places               = Altstadt, Sand, Kasernenquartier, Industriegebiet, Loestrasse-Lürlibad, [[Haldenstein]], [[Maladers]], Masans,  [[Praden]], Rheinquartier, [[Tschiertschen]]
|demonym              = {{langx|de|Churer(in)}}
|neighboring_municipalities= [[Arosa]], [[Churwalden]], [[Domat/Ems]], [[Felsberg, Switzerland|Felsberg]], [[Malix]], [[Trimmis]], [[Untervaz]], [[Pfäfers]]
|twintowns            = [[Bad Homburg]] (Germany), [[Cabourg]] (France), [[Mayrhofen]] (Austria), [[Mondorf-les-Bains]] (Luxembourg), [[Terracina]] (Italy)
}}
'''Chur'''<ref group=note>{{IPA|de|ˈkuːr|lang|audio=De-Chur.ogg}} (locally) or {{IPA|de|ˈxuːr||audio=}}; {{langx|it|Coira}} {{IPA|it|ˈkɔira|}}; {{langx|rm|label=[[Sursilvan]]|Cuera}} {{IPA|rm|ˈkweːʁə||roh-Sursilvan-Cuera.ogg}}; {{langx|rm|label=[[Vallader]]|Cuoira}} {{IPA|rm|ˈkuɔ̯jrɐ||Roh-vallader-Cuoira.ogg}}; {{langx|rm|label=[[Puter]] and [[Rumantsch Grischun]]|Cuira}} {{IPA|rm|ˈkujrɐ||roh-putèr-Cuira.ogg}}; {{langx|rm|label=[[Surmiran]]|Coira}}; {{langx|rm|label=[[Sutsilvan]]|Cuera}} or {{lang|rm|Cuira}}; {{langx|fr|Coire}} {{IPA|fr|kwaʁ||audio=Fr-Coire.ogg}}</ref><ref group=note>{{langx|la|CVRIA}}, {{lang|la|CVRIA RHAETORVM}} and {{lang|la|CVRIA RAETORVM}}.</ref> is the capital and largest [[List of towns in Switzerland|town]] of the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] [[Cantons of Switzerland|canton]] of the [[Grisons]] and lies in the [[Alpine Rhine|Grisonian Rhine Valley]], where the [[Rhine]] turns towards the north, in the northern part of the canton. The city, on the right bank of the Rhine, is reputedly the oldest town in Switzerland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Old Town Chur |url=https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/old-town-chur/#:~:text=Chur%20is%20the%20oldest%20town,%2C%20cafes%2C%20restaurants%20and%20bars. |website=MySwitzerland.com |publisher=Switzerland Tourism |access-date=18 April 2021}}</ref>

The official language of Chur is [[German language|German]],<ref group=note>In this context ‘German’ is used as an umbrella term for any variety of German. A person is allowed to communicate with the authorities using any kind of German, in written or oral form. However the authorities always use [[Swiss Standard German]] (the Swiss variety of [[Standard German]]) in documents and any written form. In spoken interaction ''Hochdeutsch'' (Swiss Standard German or what the particular speaker considers as High German) or any other dialectal variant can be used.</ref> but the main spoken language is the local variant of [[Alemannic German|Alemannic]], known as [[Grisonian German]]. [[Romansh language|Romansh]] and [[Italian language|Italian]] are significantly spoken in the city as a result of the trilingual identity of the canton.

On 1 January 2020 the former municipality of [[Maladers]] merged into Chur and on 1 January 2021 [[Haldenstein]] also merged.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.agvchapp.bfs.admin.ch/de/home |title=Applikation der Schweizer Gemeinden |year=2021 | work=bfs.admin.ch | publisher=Swiss Federal Statistical Office |access-date= 14 January 2021}}</ref> On 1 January 2025 the former municipality of [[Tschiertschen-Praden]] merged into Chur.

==History==
[[File:Chur 1642 Merian Helvetiae.jpg|thumb|left|Chur in 1642, by [[Matthäus Merian]]]]
[[File:Chur-Coire by Francis Nicholson (1753-1844).jpg|thumb|left|Watercolour drawing of Chur by [[Francis Nicholson (painter)|Francis Nicholson]] (1753–1844)]]
[[File:Johann Heinrich Müller, 1825-1894 J01 Chur.JPG|thumb|left|Chur {{Circa|1870}}. Etching by [[commons:Category:Johann Heinrich Müller (1825-1894)|Heinrich Müller]]]]
[[File:Bergtocht van Churwalden Mittelberg (1500 meter) via Ranculier en Praden naar Tschiertschen 013.jpg|thumb|View of Chur]]
Archaeological evidence of settlement at the site, in the [[Eastern Alps]], goes back as far as the [[Pfyn culture]]<ref name="HDS_Chur">{{HDS|1581|Chur}}</ref> (3900–3500 BC),<ref>Schibler, J. 2006. The economy and environment of the 4th and 3rd millennia BC in the northern Alpine foreland based on studies of animal bones. Environmental Archaeology 11(1): 49-65.</ref> making Chur one of the oldest settlements in Switzerland. Remains and objects from the [[Bronze Age|Bronze]] and [[Iron Age]]s have also been found in the eastern sector of the centre of the current city. These include Bronze-Age [[Urnfield culture|Urnfield]] and [[Laugen-Melaun culture|Laugen-Melaun]] settlements from 1300 to 800 BC and Iron-Age settlements from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC.

The Roman Empire conquered the area that then came to be known as the Roman province of [[Raetia]] in [[15 BC|15&nbsp;BC]]. Under emperor [[Diocletian]] (late 3rd century AD), the existing settlement of ''[[Curia]] Raetorum'' (later Chur) was made the capital of the newly established province of [[Raetia prima]].<ref>{{HDS|47667|Raetia}}</ref>

In the 4th century Chur became the seat of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Chur|first Christian bishopric]] north of the Alps. Despite a legend assigning its foundation to an alleged British king, [[Lucius of Chur|St. Lucius]], the first known bishop is one {{ill|Asinio|de}}<ref>{{HDS|8569|The Alps – 4.1 Church and Religious Life}}</ref> in AD&nbsp;451. The bishop soon acquired great temporal powers, especially after 831 when his dominions were made dependent on the [[Holy Roman Empire|Empire]] alone.<ref name="Coire">{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Coire |volume= 6 |last= Coolidge |first= William Augustus Brevoort |author-link= W. A. B. Coolidge|page= 654|short=x}}</ref>

After the invasion of the [[Ostrogoths]] it may have been renamed ''Theodoricopolis'';<ref>Alois Lechthaler, ''Handbuch der Geschichte Tirols'', Tyrolia-Verlag, 1936, {{p.|35}}.</ref><ref>Sean D. W. Lafferty, ''Law and Society in the Age of Theoderic the Great : A Study of the Edictum Theoderici'', Cambridge University Press, 2013, note 36. {{ISBN|1107067561}}</ref> in the 6th century it was conquered by the [[Franks]].<ref>{{HDS|8249|The Franks}}</ref> The city suffered several invasions, by the [[Magyars]] in 925–926, when the cathedral was destroyed, and by the [[Saracen]]s (940 and 954),<ref name="fire">[http://www.chur.ch/dl.php/de/0d6yc-lx6zo2/Stadtbraende.pdf Stadtbrände] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230085630/http://www.chur.ch/dl.php/de/0d6yc-lx6zo2/Stadtbraende.pdf |date=30 December 2016 }} from [http://www.chur.ch/de/ueberchur/geschichte/welcome.php?action=showinfo&info_id=5328 Official Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230085627/http://www.chur.ch/de/ueberchur/geschichte/welcome.php?action=showinfo&info_id=5328 |date=30 December 2016 }}</ref> but afterwards it flourished thanks to its location where the roads from several major Alpine transit routes come together and continue down the Rhine. The routes had already been used under the Romans but acquired greater importance under the [[Ottonian]] dynasty of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. [[Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Otto I]] granted the town the right to collect tolls in 952 and appointed his vassal Hartpert as bishop of Chur in 958, giving the bishopric further privileges. In 1170 the bishop became a prince-bishop and kept total control over the road between Chur and [[Chiavenna]].

In the 13th century the town had some 1,300 inhabitants and was surrounded by a line of walls. In the 14th century at least six fires damaged or destroyed the monasteries of {{ill|St. Luzi|de|St. Luziuskirche (Chur)}} and {{ill|St. Nicolai|de|Dominikanerkloster St. Nicolai}} and {{ill|St Martin's Church, Chur|lt=St Martin's Church|de|Martinskirche (Chur)}} and twice destroyed much of the town. The [[League of God's House|Gotteshausbund]] (League of the House of God) was formed in 1367 in Chur to resist the rising power of the [[Prince-Bishopric of Chur|Bishopric of Chur]] and the House of Habsburg. Chur was the chief town of the League and one of the places the League's assemblies met regularly. A [[burgomaster]] (mayor) of Chur is first mentioned in 1413. The bishop's residence was attacked by the inhabitants in 1418 and 1422, when a series of concessions were wrung out of him.

On 27 April 1464 most of the town was destroyed in a fire, which only the bishop's estates and St. Luzi monastery survived. With the bishop's power waning as he came increasingly under the influence of the nearby [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] [[County of Tyrol]], the citizens sent a delegation to Emperor [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III]]. The Emperor reconfirmed the historic rights of Chur and also granted them extensive new rights which freed the city from the bishop's power. In 1465 the citizens wrote a constitution that granted all governmental power to Chur's guilds. All government positions were restricted to guild members, allowing the guilds to regulate all aspects of life in Chur. Since guild membership had become the only route to political power, local patricians and nobles quickly became guild members, often joining the [[winemaker]]s guild.<ref>[http://www.chur.ch/de/ueberchur/geschichte/welcome.php?action=showinfo&info_id=5340 Official Website – Fire. Chur becomes a guild city] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714013658/http://www.chur.ch/de/ueberchur/geschichte/welcome.php?action=showinfo&info_id=5340 |date=14 July 2017 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 29 December 2016.</ref>

The Chur-led League of the House of God allied with the [[Grey League]] and the [[League of the Ten Jurisdictions]] in 1471 to form the [[Three Leagues]]. In 1489 Chur obtained the right to have a tribunal of its own but never had the title of [[Free Imperial City]]. In 1497–98, concerned about Habsburg expansion and with the Bishop of Chur quarrelling with Austria, the Three Leagues formed an alliance with the Swiss Confederation. In 1499 the [[Swabian War]] broke out between the Three Leagues and Austria and quickly expanded to include the Confederation. During the war troops from Chur fought under the Bishop's [[Vogt]] Heinrich Ammann in the Lower [[Engadin]], in [[Prättigau]] and near [[Balzers]]. Troops from Chur also took part in the 1512 invasion of the [[Valtellina]] and the Second [[Musso War]] in 1530–31.

[[File:ETH-BIB-Chur v. N. aus 300 m-Inlandflüge-LBS MH01-005044.tif|thumb|left|Aerial view from 300&nbsp;m by [[Walter Mittelholzer]] (1925)]]
In 1523 {{ill|Johannes (Dorfmann) Comander|de|Johannes Comander}} was appointed [[parish priest]] of St Martin's Church and began preaching the new faith of the Protestant [[Reformation]]. It spread rapidly and by 1525 the bishop had fled the city and Protestant services were taking place in the churches of St Martin and St Regula.<ref>{{cite Catholic Encyclopedia|wstitle=Chur |volume= 03 |short=x}}</ref> The {{ill|Ilanz Articles|de|Ilanzer Artikel}} of 1524 and 1526 allowed each resident of the Three Leagues to choose their religion and sharply reduced the political and secular power of the Bishop of Chur and all monasteries in League territory.<ref>{{HDS|17173|Ilanz Articles}}</ref> By 1527 all of Chur except the bishop's estates had adopted the Reformation. On 23 January 1529 Abbot {{ill|Theodul Schlegel|de}} was publicly beheaded. Bishop {{ill|Thomas Planta|de}}, a friend of [[Charles Borromeo]], tried, but without success, to suppress Protestantism. He died, probably poisoned, on 5 May 1565.<ref name=CE>{{Catholic Encyclopedia|inline=1|wstitle=Chur}}</ref>

During the 16th century the German language started to prevail over [[Romansh language|Romansh]]. In 1479 about 300 houses and [[Animal stall|stalls]] burned in another fire. Nearly a century later, on 23 July 1574, a fire destroyed 174 houses and 114 stalls, or about half the city. Two years later, on 21 October 1576, another 53 houses were burned. Two years after the 1576 fire, the perpetrator, Hauptmann Stör, was executed.<ref name=fire/>

After the [[Napoleonic Wars]] the Three Leagues became the [[Canton of Graubünden]] in 1803. The guild constitution of the city of Chur lasted until 1839 and in 1874 the ''[[Burgergemeinde]]'' was replaced by an ''Einwohnergemeinde''.<ref name="Coire"/> When Graubünden became a canton in 1803, Chur was chosen as its capital.

Chur's {{ill|Daleu Cemetery|de|Friedhof Daleu}} is in the centre of town, and in the middle of the cemetery is a 13-tonne (13,000&nbsp;kg) stone [[monument]] that dwarfs the nearby [[gravestones]]. The huge [[monolith]]ic block of [[granite]] was erected in 1938 and for decades was largely ignored by passers-by until in 2023 a [[controversy]] arose after a Swiss [[historian]] discovered that it was originally built as [[propaganda]] for the [[Nazi]] regime.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nazi monument at Swiss cemetery sparks controversy |author=Imogen Foulkes |date=1 Apr 2023 |website=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65099516}}</ref>

==Geography and climate==
===Topography===
{{further|Alpine Rhine Valley}}
[[File:Fuerhoernlich ur.JPG|thumb|Chur from its highest point, called [[Fürhörnli]], looking upstream]]
[[File:View of Chur from Versam (2011).jpg|thumb|View of Chur from [[Versam]]]]

Chur has an area (as of the 2004/09 survey) of {{Swiss area|3901|mi=on}}.{{Swiss area data|3901|QUELLE}} About 17.6% is used for agricultural purposes and 52.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 26.5% is settled (buildings or roads) and 3.9% is unproductive land. Over the past two decades (1979/85–2004/09) the amount of land that is settled has increased by {{convert|86|ha|acre|abbr=on}} and the agricultural land has decreased by {{convert|87|ha|acre|abbr=on}}.<ref name=SFSO2016>[https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/regionalstatistik/regionale-portraets-kennzahlen/gemeinden/daten-erlaeuterungen.assetdetail.328115.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Regional portraits] accessed 27 October 2016.</ref>

Chur is situated at a height of {{convert|594|m|ft|abbr=on}} [[above sea level]], on the right bank of the torrent [[Plessur (river)|Plessur]] just as it issues from the valley [[Schanfigg]] and about a mile above its junction with the Rhine, almost entirely surrounded by the [[Swiss Alps|Alps]], overshadowed by the {{ill|Mittenberg|ceb}} (northeast) and Pizokel (southwest), hills that guard the entrance to the deep-cut valley Schanfigg.<ref name="Coire"/>

The altitude in the city area varies from {{convert|600|m|ft|sp=us}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]] to {{convert|1800|m|ft|sp=us}} above sea level and the Churer Hausberg {{ill|Brambrüesch|de}} (accessible from the [[Old town|Old Town]]) is {{convert|2174|m|ft|sp=us}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]].

The water of Chur's spring is exported and sold as [[Passugger]] mineral water.

===Climate===
Chur has an [[oceanic climate]] in spite of its inland position. Summers are warm and sometimes hot, normally averaging around {{convert|25|C|F}} during the day, whilst winter means are around freezing, with daytime temperatures being about {{convert|5|C|F}}. Between 1981 and 2010 Chur had an average of 104.6 days of rain per year and on average received {{convert|849|mm|in|abbr=on}} of [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]]. The wettest month was August, with an average of {{convert|112|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation over an average of 11.2 days. The driest month of the year was February with an average of {{convert|47|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation over 6.6 days.<ref name=MeteoSwiss>{{cite web |url=https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/product/output/climate-data/climate-diagrams-normal-values-station-processing/CHU/climsheet_CHU_np9120_e.pdf |title=Climate Normals Chur (Reference period 1991−2020)  |access-date=20 January 2022 |publisher=Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology – MeteoSwiss |language=de, fr, it |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120061229/https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/product/output/climate-data/climate-diagrams-normal-values-station-processing/CHU/climsheet_CHU_np9120_e.pdf |archive-date=20 January 2022 |url-status=live }}, the weather station elevation is {{convert|556|m|ft|abbr=off}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]].</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Chur, elevation {{convert|556|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020)
|collapsed=Y
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
| Jan high C = 5.2
| Feb high C = 7.0
| Mar high C = 11.9
| Apr high C = 16.1
| May high C = 20.3
| Jun high C = 23.6
| Jul high C = 25.3
| Aug high C = 24.8
| Sep high C = 20.3
| Oct high C = 16.1
| Nov high C = 10.2
| Dec high C = 5.7
| year high C = 15.5
| Jan mean C = 1.0
| Feb mean C = 2.1
| Mar mean C = 6.3
| Apr mean C = 10.2
| May mean C = 14.4
| Jun mean C = 17.7
| Jul mean C = 19.3
| Aug mean C = 18.9
| Sep mean C = 14.9
| Oct mean C = 10.8
| Nov mean C = 5.6
| Dec mean C = 1.9
| year mean C = 10.3
| Jan low C = -2.1
| Feb low C = -1.4
| Mar low C = 1.9
| Apr low C = 5.1
| May low C = 9.3
| Jun low C = 12.6
| Jul low C = 14.3
| Aug low C = 14.3
| Sep low C = 10.6
| Oct low C = 6.8
| Nov low C = 2.4
| Dec low C = -1.0
| year low C = 6.1
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 54.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 40.2
|Mar precipitation mm = 52.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 49.5
|May precipitation mm = 70.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 93.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 101.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 119.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 77.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 66.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 68.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 58.4
|year precipitation mm = 851.8
| Jan snow cm = 20.0
| Feb snow cm = 18.4
| Mar snow cm = 6.2
| Apr snow cm = 1.1
| May snow cm = 0.0
| Jun snow cm = 0.0
| Jul snow cm = 0.0
| Aug snow cm = 0.0
| Sep snow cm = 0.0
| Oct snow cm = 0.6
| Nov snow cm = 6.2
| Dec snow cm = 16.8
| year snow cm = 69.3
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 7.8
| Feb precipitation days = 6.5
| Mar precipitation days = 7.1
| Apr precipitation days = 7.1
| May precipitation days = 9.7
| Jun precipitation days = 11.4
| Jul precipitation days = 11.3
| Aug precipitation days = 11.5
| Sep precipitation days = 8.6
| Oct precipitation days = 7.7
| Nov precipitation days = 8.3
| Dec precipitation days = 8.0
| year precipitation days = 105.0
| unit snow days = 1.0&nbsp;cm
| Jan snow days = 4.1
| Feb snow days = 3.2
| Mar snow days = 1.9
| Apr snow days = 0.3
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.1
| Nov snow days = 1.2
| Dec snow days = 3.3
| year snow days = 14.1
| Jan humidity = 74
| Feb humidity = 69
| Mar humidity = 64
| Apr humidity = 61
| May humidity = 64
| Jun humidity = 67
| Jul humidity = 68
| Aug humidity = 71
| Sep humidity = 74
| Oct humidity = 74
| Nov humidity = 75
| Dec humidity = 75
| year humidity = 70
|Jan sun = 97.0
|Feb sun = 111.7
|Mar sun = 144.6
|Apr sun = 158.7
|May sun = 174.1
|Jun sun = 189.5
|Jul sun = 207.5
|Aug sun = 191.8
|Sep sun = 158.1
|Oct sun = 131.8
|Nov sun = 92.7
|Dec sun = 82.1
|year sun = 1739.6
| Jan percentsun = 49
| Feb percentsun = 53
| Mar percentsun = 54
| Apr percentsun = 53
| May percentsun = 49
| Jun percentsun = 52
| Jul percentsun = 57
| Aug percentsun = 59
| Sep percentsun = 58
| Oct percentsun = 54
| Nov percentsun = 46
| Dec percentsun = 45
| year percentsun = 53
| source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name=NOAA1>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241211065111/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/archive/arc0216/0253808/5.5/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Switzerland/CSV/Chur_06786.csv
| archive-date = 11 December 2024
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/archive/arc0216/0253808/5.5/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Switzerland/CSV/Chur_06786.csv
| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020
| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 11 December 2024}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[MeteoSwiss]]<ref name=MeteoSwiss/>
|date=August 2010
}}

==Politics==
===Coat of arms===
Blazon: ''Argent, a city gate gules with three [[merlon]]s, within which a capricorn rampant sable, langued and viriled of the second.''

===Administrative divisions===

===Government===
The City Council (''Stadtrat'') constitutes the [[executive (government)|executive]] government of the City of Chur and operates as a [[collegiate authority]]. It is composed of only three councilors ({{langx|de|Stadtrat/Stadträtin}}), each presiding over a department. In the mandate period 2021–2024 (''Legislatur'') the City Council is presided by ''Stadtpräsident'' {{ill|Urs Marti|de|Urs Marti (Politiker)}}. Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the Municipal Council (parliament) are carried by the City Council. The regular election of the City Council by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every four years. Any resident of Chur allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the City Council. The current mandate period is from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2024. The delegates are elected by means of a system of [[proportional representation]]. The mayor is elected as such by public election by means of a system of [[majoritarian representation]], while the heads of the other departments are assigned by the collegiate.<ref name=CC>{{cite web |url=http://www.chur.ch/de/politikundverwaltung/stadtratred/exekutive/ |title=Stadtrat |publisher=Stadt Chur |type=official site |language=de |location=Chur, Switzerland |date=2020 |access-date=2022-11-10}}</ref>

{{As of|2020}}, Chur's City Council is made up of one representative of the FDP ([[FDP.The Liberals]], who is also the mayor), one of the SP ([[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|Social Democratic Party]]), and one new member of [[The Centre (political party)|The Centre (former CVP/PDC and BDP/PBD)]], giving the right parties a new majority of two out of three seats. The last regular election was held on 27 September 2020.<ref name=CC/>

{|class="wikitable"
|+ ''Stadtrat'' of Chur<ref name=CC/>
! City Councillor<br />(''Stadtrat/ Stadträtin'') !! Party !! Head of Department (''Leitung des Departementes'', since) of !! elected since
|-
| '''{{ill|Urs Marti|de|Urs Marti (Politiker)}}'''<ref group=CC>Mayor (''Stadtpräsident'').</ref> || {{Color box|{{party color|FDP.The Liberals}}|border=darkgray}} FDP || Finanzen Wirtschaft Sicherheit (Finances Economy Security, 2021) || 2012
|-
| [[Patrik Degiacomi]] || {{Color box|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Switzerland}}|border=darkgray}} SP  || Bildung Gesellschaft Kultur (Education Society Culture, 2021) || 2016
|-
| [[Sandra Maissen]] || {{Color box|{{party color|The Centre (political party)}}|border=darkgray}} Centre || Bau Planung Umwelt (Construction Planning Environment, 2021) || 2020
|}
{{reflist|group=CC}}

===Parliament===
{{Pie chart
| thumb =right
| caption =The ''Gemeinderat'' of Chur for the mandate period of 2021–2024
| other  =
| label1 =SP
| value1 ={{#expr: 6/(21/100) round 1}}
| color1 ={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Switzerland}}
| label2 =FL&G
| value2 ={{#expr: 2/(21/100) round 1}}
| color2 =green
| label3 =glp
| value3 ={{#expr: 2/(21/100) round 1}}
| color3 ={{party color|Green Liberal Party of Switzerland}}
| label4 =Centre
| value4 ={{#expr: 3/(21/100) round 1}}
| color4 ={{party color|Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland}}
| label5 =FDP
| value5 ={{#expr: 4/(21/100) round 1}}
| color5 ={{party color|FDP.The Liberals}}
| label6 =SVP
| value6 ={{#expr: 4/(21/100) round 1}}
| color6 ={{party color|Swiss People's Party}}
}}
The Municipal Council (''Gemeinderat'') holds [[legislative power]]. It is made up of only 21 members, with elections held every four years. The Municipal Council decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the City Council and the administration. The delegates are selected by means of a system of [[proportional representation|Proporz]].

The sessions of the Municipal Council are public. Unlike members of the City Council, members of the Municipal Council are not politicians by profession, and they are paid a fee based on their attendance. Any resident of Chur allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the Municipal Council. The parliament holds its meetings in the {{ill|Town Hall (Chur)|lt=Town Hall|de|Rathaus (Chur)}}.<ref name=GR>{{cite web |url=http://www.chur.ch/de/politikundverwaltung/gemeinderat/ |title=Gemeinderat |publisher=Stadt Chur |type=official site |location=Chur, Switzerland |language=de |access-date=2022-11-10}}</ref>

The last regular election of the Municipal Council was held on 27 September 2020 for the mandate period ({{langx|de|Legislatur}}) from January 2021 to December 2024. Currently the Municipal Council consist of 6 (-, no change) members of the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|Social Democratic Party (SP/PS)]], 4 (-) [[Swiss People's Party|Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC)]], 4 (+1) [[FDP.The Liberals|The Liberals (FDP/PLR)]], 3 (+1) [[The Centre (political party)|The Centre (former CVP/PDC and BDP/PBD)]], 3 (+2) [[Green Liberal Party of Switzerland|Green Liberal Party (GLP/PVL)]], 2 (-) ''Freie Liste & Grüne'' (Free List & Greens), while the [[Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland|Conservative Democratic Party (BDP/PBD)]] lost all their 3 seats due to Dissolution and merged with former CVP.<ref name=GR/>

===Elections===
====National Council====
In the [[2015 Swiss federal election|2015 federal election]] the most popular party was the [[Swiss People's Party|SVP/UDC]] with 26.43% of the vote followed almost equally by the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|SP/PS]] (25.96%), then the [[Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland|CVP/PDC]] (13.74%), the [[FDP.The Liberals|FDP/PLR]] (12.06%), the BDP/PBD (11.97), and the GLP/PVL (9.71). In the federal election, a total of 11,102 votes were cast, and the [[voter turnout]] was 45.4%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Selection.aspx?px_language=de&px_db=px-x-1702020000_105&px_tableid=px-x-1702020000_105\px-x-1702020000_105.px&px_type=PX |title=Nationalratswahlen (Parteistimmen und Parteistärke seit 1975: Bezirke und Gemeinden) |publisher=Federal Statistical Office (FSO) |location=Neuchâtel, Switzerland |date=2015 |language=de, fr |access-date=2017-01-01}}</ref>

==International relations==
{{see also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Switzerland}}

Chur is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerstädte|url=https://www.chur.ch/partnerstadt|website=chur.ch|publisher=Chur|language=de|access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Bad Homburg vor der Höhe]], Germany
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Cabourg]], France
*{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Mayrhofen]], Austria
*{{flagicon|LUX}} [[Mondorf-les-Bains]], Luxembourg
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Terracina]], Italy
{{div col end}}

==Demographics==
[[File:Mühleturm Chur (2011).jpg|thumb|Mühleturm ("Mill Tower") Chur in 2011, before it was repainted as mural]]

===Population===
Chur has a population (as of {{Swiss populations date|CH-GR}}) of {{Swiss populations|CH-GR|3901}}.{{Swiss populations ref|CH-GR}} In 2008 17.8% of the population were foreign nationals<ref name=Population/> and by 2014 that number was 19.2%. Over the last 4 years (2010–2014) the population has changed at a rate of 2.34%. The [[birth rate]] in the municipality in 2014 was 9.2 and the [[death rate]] was 10.0 per thousand residents.<ref name=SFSO2016/> Most of the population ({{As of|2000|lc=on}}) speak German (81.0%), with Italian being second most common (6.4%) and Romansh being third (5.3%).<ref name=SFSO>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105172441/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html |date=5 January 2016 }} accessed 27-Oct-2009.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/asset/it/20964036|title=Lingue principali secondo le grandi città - 2010-2020 &#124; Tabella|first=Ufficio federale di|last=statistica|date=24 January 2022|website=Ufficio federale di statistica}}</ref>
 
{{As of|2000}} the gender distribution of the population was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.<ref name=GR_Numbers>[http://www.gr.ch/DE/institutionen/verwaltung/dvs/awt/dienstleistungen/volkswirtschaftlichegrundlagen/Seiten/default.aspx Graubunden in Numbers] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924000647/http://www.gr.ch/DE/institutionen/verwaltung/dvs/awt/dienstleistungen/volkswirtschaftlichegrundlagen/Seiten/default.aspx |date=24 September 2009 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 21 September 2009.</ref> The age distribution {{As of|2000|lc=on}} in Chur is; 3,087 children or 9.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old. 1,602 or 4.9% are 10 to 14 and 2,194 teenagers or 6.7% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 4,770 people or 14.5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 5,517 or 16.7% are 30 to 39, 4,616 or 14.0% are 40 to 49 and 4,254 or 12.9% are 50 to 59. 3,090 people or 9.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 2,314 or 7.0% are 70 to 79, there are 1,307 or 4.0% who are 80 to 89, 233 or 0.7% who are 90 to 99 and 5 who are 100 or more.<ref name=Population>[http://www.gr.ch/DE/institutionen/verwaltung/dvs/awt/dienstleistungen/volkswirtschaftlichegrundlagen/Seiten/Bevoelkerung.aspx Graubunden Population Statistics] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827132227/http://www.gr.ch/DE/institutionen/verwaltung/dvs/awt/dienstleistungen/volkswirtschaftlichegrundlagen/Seiten/Bevoelkerung.aspx |date=27 August 2009 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 21 September 2009.</ref>

In 2015 there were 15,557 single residents, 13,722 people who were married or in a civil partnership, 1,948 widows and widowers, 3,423 divorced residents and 2 people who did not answer the question.<ref>[https://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Default.aspx?px_language=de Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Geschlecht, Zivilstand und Geburtsort] {{in lang|de}} accessed 8 September 2016.</ref>

In 2014 there were 16,970 private households in Chur with an average household size of 2.00 persons. Of the 3,792 inhabited buildings in the municipality in 2000, about 37.8% were single-family homes and 39.7% were multiple-family buildings. About 20.5% of the buildings dated from before 1919 and 8.8% were built between 1991 and 2000.<ref name=Housing>[https://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/ Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB – Thema 09 – Bau- und Wohnungswesen] {{in lang|de}} accessed 5 May 2016.</ref> In 2013 the rate of construction of new housing units per 1000 residents was 7.71. The vacancy rate for the municipality, {{as of|2015|alt=in 2015}}, was 0.6%.<ref name=SFSO2016/>

===Historic population===
The historical population is given in the following chart:<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|624|Chur}}</ref>

<timeline>
Colors=
  id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)
  id:darkgrey  value:gray(0.8)
ImageSize  = width:800 height:500
PlotArea   = top:10 left: 100 bottom:90 right:100
Legend     = columns:3 left:220 top:70 columnwidth:160
AlignBars  = justify
DateFormat = x.y
Period     = from:0 till:40000
TimeAxis   = orientation:vertical
AlignBars  = justify
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:8000 start:0
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:1600 start:0
Colors=
 id:TO     value:yellowgreen      legend:Total
 id:GE     value:teal      legend:German_Speaking
 id:IT     value:green      legend:Italian_Speaking
 id:RM     value:lightpurple      legend:Romansh_Speaking
 id:PR     value:oceanblue      legend:Protestant
 id:CA     value:darkblue	legend:Roman_Catholic
 id:SW     value:red      legend:Swiss
PlotData=
  color:yellowgreen width:40   mark:(line,white) align:center
  bar:1780 from:start till:2331 text:"2,331" color:TO
  bar:1860 from:start till:6990 text:"6,990" color:TO
  bar:1880 from:start till:8753 text:"8,753" color:TO
  bar:1888 from:start till:9259 text:"9,259" color:TO
  bar:1900 from:start till:11532 text:"11,532" color:TO
  bar:1910 from:start till:14639 text:"14,639" color:TO
  bar:1930 from:start till:15574 text:"15,574" color:TO
  bar:1950 from:start till:19382 text:"19,382" color:TO
  bar:1970 from:start till:31193 text:"31,193" color:TO
  bar:1990 from:start till:32868 text:"32,868" color:TO
  bar:2000 from:start till:32989 text:"32,989" color:TO
  bar:2010 from:start till:36690 text:"36,690" color:TO
LineData =
  points:(222,166)(273,168)  color:GE
  points:(273,168)(324,183)  color:GE
  points:(324,183)(375,206)  color:GE
  points:(375,206)(426,219)  color:GE
  points:(426,219)(477,251)  color:GE
  points:(477,251)(528,326)  color:GE
  points:(528,326)(579,347)  color:GE
  points:(579,347)(630,357)  color:GE

  points:(222,93)(273,92)  color:IT
  points:(273,92)(324,97)  color:IT
  points:(324,97)(375,102)  color:IT
  points:(375,102)(426,98)  color:IT
  points:(426,98)(477,100)  color:IT
  points:(477,100)(528,120)  color:IT
  points:(528,120)(579,110)  color:IT
  points:(579,110)(630,107)  color:IT

  points:(222,100)(273,102)  color:RM
  points:(273,102)(324,105)  color:RM
  points:(324,105)(375,107)  color:RM
  points:(375,107)(426,107)  color:RM
  points:(426,107)(477,110)  color:RM
  points:(477,110)(528,123)  color:RM
  points:(528,123)(579,113)  color:RM
  points:(579,113)(630,108)  color:RM

  points:(171,132)(222,154)  color:PR
  points:(222,154)(273,155)  color:PR
  points:(273,155)(324,166)  color:PR
  points:(324,166)(375,182)  color:PR
  points:(375,182)(426,188)  color:PR
  points:(426,188)(477,207)  color:PR
  points:(477,207)(528,243)  color:PR
  points:(528,243)(579,230)  color:PR
  points:(579,230)(630,217)  color:PR
  points:(630,217)(681,212)  color:PR

  points:(171,117)(222,114)  color:CA
  points:(222,114)(273,117)  color:CA
  points:(273,117)(324,130)  color:CA
  points:(324,130)(375,144)  color:CA
  points:(375,144)(426,147)  color:CA
  points:(426,147)(477,165)  color:CA
  points:(477,165)(528,245)  color:CA
  points:(528,245)(579,249)  color:CA
  points:(579,249)(630,237)  color:CA
  points:(630,237)(681,244)  color:CA

  points:(171,154)(222,169)  color:SW
  points:(222,169)(273,171)  color:SW
  points:(273,171)(324,187)  color:SW
  points:(324,187)(375,210)  color:SW
  points:(375,210)(426,227)  color:SW
  points:(426,227)(477,269)  color:SW
  points:(477,269)(528,353)  color:SW
  points:(528,353)(579,363)  color:SW
  points:(579,363)(630,361)  color:SW
  points:(630,361)(681,387)  color:SW
</timeline>

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
! colspan="12" | Historic population data<ref name=HDS/>
|-
! Year
! Population
! Swiss
! % German speaking
! % Italian speaking
! % Romansh speaking
! % [[Protestantism|Protestant]]
! % Roman Catholic
|-
| 13th century || align="center" | 1,000-1,500 || || || || || ||
|-
| End of the 15th century || align="center" | ca. 1,500 || || || || || ||
|-
| 1780 || align="center" | 2,331 || || || || || ||
|-
| 1860 || align="center" | 6,990 || align="center" | 6,373|| align="center" |  || align="center" |  || align="center" | || align="center" | 60.8% || align="center" | 39.1%
|-
| 1880{{Ref|over|a}} || align="center" | 8,753 || align="center" | 7,866|| align="center" | 86.6% || align="center" | 3.2% || align="center" | 11.3% || align="center" | 73.6% || align="center" | 27.8%
|-
| 1888 || align="center" | 9,259 || align="center" | 8,094|| align="center" | 84.2% || align="center" | 2.7% || align="center" | 12.5% || align="center" | 70.4% || align="center" | 29.5%
|-
| 1900 || align="center" | 11,532 || align="center" | 9,687|| align="center" | 80.5% || align="center" | 5.9% || align="center" | 12.7% || align="center" | 65.6% || align="center" | 34.4%
|-
| 1910 || align="center" | 14,639 || align="center" | 12,042|| align="center" | 79.4% || align="center" | 8.0% || align="center" | 11.6% || align="center" | 62.8% || align="center" | 36.8%
|-
| 1930 || align="center" | 15,574 || align="center" | 13,685|| align="center" | 83.0% || align="center" | 5.3% || align="center" | 10.8% || align="center" | 62.8% || align="center" | 36.7%
|-
| 1950 || align="center" | 19,382 || align="center" | 17,852|| align="center" | 83.2% || align="center" | 5.2% || align="center" | 10.2% || align="center" | 60.4% || align="center" | 38.5%
|-
| 1970 || align="center" | 31,193 || align="center" | 26,332|| align="center" | 75.6% || align="center" | 9.7% || align="center" | 10.6% || align="center" | 49.1% || align="center" | 49.6%
|-
| 1990 || align="center" | 32,868 || align="center" | 27,259|| align="center" | 78.2% || align="center" | 6.2% || align="center" | 6.9% || align="center" | 42.7% || align="center" | 48.5%
|-
| 2000 || align="center" | 32,989 || align="center" | 27,061|| align="center" | 81.0% || align="center" | 5.1% || align="center" | 5.4% || align="center" | 38.5% || align="center" | 44.6%
|-
| 2010 || align="center" | 36,690 || align="center" | 29,695|| align="center" |       || align="center" |      || align="center" |      || align="center" | 33.3% || align="center" | 42.0%
|-
|}
:{{note|over|a}} Language adds up to over 100% due to counting all languages, not just first language.

===Religion===
From the {{As of|2000|alt=2000 census}}, 14,713 or 44.6% are [[Roman Catholic]], while 12,199 or 37.0% belonged to the [[Swiss Reformed Church]]. Of the rest of the population, there are 15 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who belong to the [[Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland]], there are 589 individuals (or about 1.79% of the population) who belong to the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], and there are 532 individuals (or about 1.61% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There are 13 individuals (or about 0.04% of the population) who are [[Judaism|Jewish]], and 917 (or about 2.78% of the population) who are [[Islam|Muslim]]. There are 424 individuals (or about 1.29% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 1,998 (or about 6.06% of the population) belong to no church, are [[Agnosticism|agnostic]] or [[Atheism|atheist]], and 1,589 individuals (or about 4.82% of the population) did not answer the question.<ref name=Population/>

===Education===
In Chur about 70.3% of the population (between age 25 and 64) have completed either non-mandatory [[Education in Switzerland#Secondary|upper secondary education]] or additional higher education (either University or a ''[[Fachhochschule]]'').<ref name=SFSO/> The town is home to the [[Cantonal School of Graubünden]].

===Economy===
[[File:Chur - GR - GKB.jpg|thumb|Headquarters of Grisons Cantonal Bank in Postplatz, Chur]]
{{as of|2014|In 2014}}, there were a total of 32,448 people employed in the municipality. Of these, 108 people worked in 26 businesses in the [[Primary sector of the economy|primary economic sector]]. A majority (68.5%) of the primary sector employees worked in very small businesses (less than ten employees). The remainder worked in 2 small businesses with a total of 34 employees. The [[Secondary sector of the economy|secondary sector]] employed 3,645 workers in 345 separate businesses. A minority (21.2%) of the secondary sector employees worked in very small businesses. There were 75 small businesses with a total of 1,731 employees and 12 mid sized businesses with a total of 1,141 employees. Finally, the [[Tertiary sector of the economy|tertiary sector]] provided 28,695 jobs in 3,375 businesses. In 2014 a total of 16,854 employees worked in 3,306 small companies (less than 50 employees). There were 65 mid-sized businesses with 9,093 employees and 4 large businesses which employed 2,748 people (for an average size of 687).<ref>[https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/kataloge-datenbanken/daten.assetdetail.331681.html Federal Statistical Office -Arbeitsstätten und Beschäftigte nach Gemeinde, Wirtschaftssektor und Grössenklasse] accessed 31 October 2016.</ref>

In 2014 a total of 7.7% of the population received social assistance.<ref name=SFSO2016/>

In 2015 local hotels had a total of 152,629 overnight stays, of which 47.8% were international visitors.<ref>[https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/kataloge-datenbanken/daten.assetdetail.252702.html Federal Statistical Office – Hotellerie: Ankünfte und Logiernächte der geöffneten Betriebe] accessed 31 October 2016.</ref>

There were two cinemas in the municipality in 2015, with a total of 4 screens and 736 seats.<ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/16/02/01/data.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Kinoinfrastruktur nach Gemeinde und Kinotyp] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926002720/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/16/02/01/data.html |date=26 September 2016 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 9 August 2016.</ref>

===Crime===
In 2014 the crime rate, of the over 200 crimes listed in the [[Strafgesetzbuch (Switzerland)|Swiss Criminal Code]] (running from murder, robbery and assault to accepting bribes and election fraud), in Chur was 68.6 per thousand residents, only slightly higher than the national average of 64.6 per thousand. During the same period the rate of drug crimes was 15.7 per thousand residents, which is about one and a half times the national rate. The rate of violations of immigration, visa and work-permit laws was 2.4 per thousand residents, or about half the national rate.<ref>[https://www.atlas.bfs.admin.ch/maps/13/de/11488_11587_3864_7266/19010.html Statistical Atlas of Switzerland] accessed 5 April 2016.</ref>

==Transportation==
[[File:Chur Postautostation3.jpg|thumb|200px|Railway and [[PostBus Switzerland|Post bus]] station]]
[[File:Chur Stadt 2010 1.jpg|thumb|200px|The ''Arosabahn'' waits at Chur Stadt]]
Chur is {{convert|120|km|0|abbr=off}} by rail from [[Zürich Oerlikon railway station|Zürich]] and is the meeting-point of the routes from Italy over many alpine passes ([[Lukmanier Pass]], [[Splugen Pass]], and [[San Bernardino Pass]]), as well as from the [[Engadin]] ([[Albula Pass]], [[Julier Pass]]), so that it is the centre of an active trade (particularly in wine from the [[Valtelline]]), though it also has a few local factories.<ref name="Coire"/>

The city's [[Chur railway station|main railway station]] is where the [[Swiss Federal Railways]] system link with that of the [[Rhaetian Railway]] (RhB). While the SBB lines serve most of Switzerland, most of Graubünden's internal rail traffic is served by RhB lines. One of the RhB lines (to Arosa) uses [[street running|on-street running]] through streets in the centre of Chur and Sand in order to reach [[Chur Altstadt railway station]]. Other stations are [[Chur West railway station|Chur West]], [[Chur Wiesental railway station|Chur Wiesental]], and {{rws|Haldenstein}}. 

There is also a postbus station situated above the railway station.

The nearest airport is [[Zurich Airport]], located {{convert|130|km|0|abbr=on}} north west of Chur.

Chur is linked by a motorway—the [[A13 (Switzerland)|A13]].

==Culture and tourism==
===Main sights===

Chur is home to many buildings or other sites that are listed as Swiss [[Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance|heritage sites of national significance]]. There are two archeological sites in Chur, the old city, which is a [[Middle Ages|medieval]] city, and {{ill|Welschdörfli|de}}, a prehistoric settlement and [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[Vicus (Rome)|Vicus]]. There are four archives or libraries; the bishop's palace (library and archive), the Cantonal Library, the Cantonal Archive of Graubünden and the city archive of Chur. There are also four museums on the list; the ''[[Bündner Kunstmuseum]]'' (Art Museum), {{ill|Bündner Naturmuseum|de}} (Natural History Museum), the ''Dommuseum'' and the {{ill|Rätisches Museum|de}} in the Haus Buol. Three churches are included in the list; The [[Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (Chur)|cathedral]] of the [[Assumption of Mary|Assumption]], the {{ill|Catholic Church of St. Luzi|de|St. Luziuskirche (Chur)}} and the {{ill|St Martin's Church, Chur|lt=Reformed Church of St. Martin|de|Martinskirche (Chur)}}. There are 15 other buildings that are also heritage sites; these include the ''Alte Kaserne'' at Zeughaus 3 (the Old Armory), the Confederation Paper Mill, the {{ill|Main Post Office Chur|lt=Main Post Office|de|Postgebäude Chur}}, the new {{ill|Town Hall (Chur)|lt=Town Hall|de|Rathaus (Chur)}}, headquarters of the [[Rhätische Bahn]] and several old patrician houses. With the 2021 merger of Haldenstein into Chur, the ''Ruins of Haldenstein fortress'' and ''[[Haldenstein Castle]]'' became part of Chur.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.babs.admin.ch/de/aufgabenbabs/kgs/inventar/a-objekte.html |title=Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance |date=1 January 2017 |website=A-Objects |publisher=Federal Office for Cultural Protection (BABS) |access-date=6 September 2017 |archive-date=2 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902033944/http://www.babs.admin.ch/de/aufgabenbabs/kgs/inventar/a-objekte.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Chur-Poststrasse.jpg|Poststrasse, Old Town
File:Kunstmuseum Chur.jpg|Bündner Kunstmuseum (Grisonian Art Museum)
File:Chur-St. Martin.jpg|Church of St. Martin
File:Chur Kantonsgericht.jpg|Kantonsgerichtsgebäude (home of cantonal court)
File:Chur, St. Maria Himmelfahrt, Vorderseite.jpg|St. Maria Himmelfahrt (cathedral of the Assumption)
File:Chur in Graubünden (Zwitserland) 41.jpg|Street in Altstadt
</gallery>

The first church on the cathedral site was built in the first half of the 5th century.<ref name="HDS_Chur"/> The [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] [[crypt]] was probably built under [[Tello (bishop of Chur)|Bishop Tello]] (758–773). It contains remarkable paintings by [[Albrecht Dürer]] and [[Hans Holbein the Younger|Hans Holbein]].<ref name="CE"/> The current building was built between 1154 and 1270. In 1272 it was dedicated to Saint Mary of the Assumption. The [[round arch]] window along the center axis is the largest medieval window in Graubünden. The late-[[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] high altar was completed in 1492 by {{ill|Jakob Russ|de}}.<ref>[http://www.chur.ch/de/ueberchur/sehenswuerdigkeiten/kirchen/welcome.php?action=showobject&object_id=6055 Official website-The Cathedral] {{in lang|de}} accessed 27 December 2016.</ref>

The Church of St. Luzi was probably built in the 8th century, though the first record of it appears in 821 when the relics of St. Luzius were removed from the church. It may have been the site of a [[Carolingian]] scribes' school during the early Middle Ages. In 1149 it became the church of the [[Premonstratensian]] monastery.<ref name=HDS_Luzi>{{HDS|12129|St. Luzi}}</ref><ref>[http://www.chur.ch/de/ueberchur/sehenswuerdigkeiten/kirchen/welcome.php?action=showobject&object_id=7362 Official website-St. Luzi] {{in lang|de}} accessed 27 December 2016.</ref>

The town is home to the [[Giger Bar]] designed by the Swiss artist [[H. R. Giger]], the Old Town, the art gallery, and the natural history museum.

==Sport==
Chur is a hockeytown and its team, [[EHC Chur]], currently plays in the [[Swiss League]], the second tier of the Swiss ice hockey league system. They play their home games in the 6,500-seat [[Hallenstadion (Chur)|Hallenstadion]].

The American football team [[Calanda Broncos]] (formally the Landquart Broncos) moved to Chur in 2009, playing their home games at Ringstrasse Stadium. The Broncos currently play in the [[Nationalliga A (American football)|Nationalliga A]] and are the most successful Swiss American football team with the record for most [[Swiss Bowl]] wins (eight wins) as well as winning the [[EFAF Cup]] in 2010 and the [[Eurobowl]] in 2012. As of 2017 they finished first in the league, hosting [[Swiss Bowl XXXII]] in Ringstrasse Stadium where they defeated the {{ill|Basel Gladiators|de|Gladiators beider Basel}} 42–6 on 8 July.

The local football team are [[FC Chur 97]] who play in the [[2. Liga (Switzerland)|sixth division]] of [[Football in Switzerland|Swiss football]]. They play home games at Ringstrasse.

==List of notable people==
=== Early times ===
* [[George Blaurock]] ({{circa|1492}} – 1529), Grisonian Catholic pater{{Clarify|date=April 2023}} and leading personality of the [[Radical Reformation]], one of the founders of Anabaptism
* {{ill|Johannes Fabricius Montanus|de}} (1527–1577), German theologian and poet<ref>[[:de:Johannes Fabricius Montanus|German Wikipedia, Johannes Fabricius Montanus]].</ref>
* [[Jörg Jenatsch]] (1596–1639), Grisonian politician during the [[Thirty Years' War]], assassinated in Chur.<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Jenatsch,_Georg |volume= 15 |last= Coolidge |first= William Augustus Brevoort |author-link= W. A. B. Coolidge |short=x}}</ref> 
* [[Soloman Sprecher von Bernegg]] (1697–1758), Habsburg field marshal in the [[Seven Years' War]]

=== 18th century ===
* [[Jerome, 2nd Count de Salis]] (1709–1794), a Fellow of the Royal Society and sometime British [[Resident (title)|Resident]] in the Grisons.
* [[Jeremiah Theus]] (1716–1746), Swiss-American painter, primarily of portraits.
* [[Angelica Kauffman]], RA (1741–1801), Austrian Neoclassical painter, successful career in London and Rome.<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Kauffmann,_Angelica |volume= 15 |last= Dobson |first= Henry Austin |author-link= Henry Austin Dobson |short=x}}</ref>
* [[Richard La Nicca]] (1794–1883 in Chur), a Swiss engineer, planned and implemented the [[Jura water correction]] project in the Swiss Jura

=== 19th century ===
* [[Alexander Moritzi]] (1806–1850), a Swiss naturalist and early proponent of evolution
* [[Gottfried Ludwig Theobald]] (1810–1869 in Chur), a German-Swiss geologist and cartographer, taught in Chur 1854–1869. 
* {{ill|Johann Baptista von Tscharner|de|Johann Baptista von Tscharner (Politiker, 1815)}} (1815–1879), born and died in Chur, lawyer and politician<ref>[[:de:Johann Baptista von Tscharner (Politiker, 1815)|German Wiki, Johann Baptista von Tscharner]].</ref>
* [[Philip Schaff]] (1819–1893), Protestant theologian and church historian, lived and taught in the United States<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Schaff,_Philip |volume= 24 |short=x}}</ref>
* [[Johann Coaz]] (1822–1918), a forester, topographer and mountaineer from Graubünden
* [[Simeon Bavier]] (1825–1896), a politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council 1878–1883 
* [[Eduard Killias]] (1829–1891), a Swiss physician, naturalist and [[balneologist]]
* [[Carl Hilty]] (1833–1909), a philosopher, writer and worked as a lawyer in Chur for 20 years
* [[Adolfo Kind]] (1848–1907), a chemical engineer and one of the fathers of skiing in Italy
* [[Clara Ragaz]] (1874–1957), feminist, [[pacifist]] and supporter of the [[temperance movement]]
* [[Jakob Buchli]] (1876–1945), engineer in the field of locomotive design
* [[Alfred Heuß]] (1877–1934), German musicologist
* [[Josias Braun-Blanquet]] (1884–1980), a [[phytosociologist]] and botanist
* [[Rosa Gutknecht]] (1885–1959), a German-born Swiss theologian and cleric, in 1918 she was one of the first two women to graduate in theology and be ordained as pastors
* [[Harry Clarke]] (1889–1931 in Chur), an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator
* [[Kurt Huber]] (1893–1943), a university professor and resistance fighter with the anti-Nazi group [[White Rose]]
* [[Maurice Conradi]] (1896–1947 in Chur), a Russian [[White movement|White]] officer who fought in World War I and the [[Civil War in Russia]]

=== 20th century ===
* {{ill|Robert Platow|de}} (1900–1982 in Chur), German journalist, founder and publisher of the ''Platow Brief''<ref>[[:de:Robert Platow|German Wiki, Robert Platow]].</ref>
* [[Heinrich Willi]] (1900–1971), pediatrician who co-discovered [[Prader–Willi syndrome]]
* [[Andreas Walser]] (1908–1930), a Swiss painter in Paris
* [[Gustav Guanella]] (1909–1982), a Swiss inventor, developed high-frequency electronics 
* [[Meinrad Schütter]] (1910–2006), a Swiss composer
* [[Rudolf Olgiati]] (1910–1995), local architect, of the [[New Objectivity]] movement
* [[H. R. Giger]] (1940–2014), visual artist, painter and Oscar winner<ref>{{IMDb name|0317592|H. R. Giger}}. Retrieved 21 November 2018.</ref>
* [[Peter Zumthor]] (born 1943), an uncompromising and minimalist Swiss architect, works in Chur
* [[Alex P. Schmid]] (born 1943), a Swiss-born Dutch scholar in terrorism studies and former Officer-in-Charge of the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations
* [[Mario Illien]] (born 1946), engineer, specialising in motorsport engine design
* [[Robert Indermaur]] (born 1947), a Swiss painter and sculptor
* [[Rut Plouda]] (born 1948), a Swiss poet and novelist
* [[Hans Danuser]] (born 1953), a Swiss artist and photographer
* [[Corin Curschellas]] (born 1956), a Swiss singer-songwriter, vocalist, free improvisation, actress and voice actress<ref>{{IMDb name|1548683|Corin Curschellas}}. Retrieved 21 November 2018.</ref>
* [[Valerio Olgiati]] (born 1958), renowned architect of Grisonian buildings
* [[Raphael Zuber]] (born 1973), renowned architect
* Adrian J. Meier (born 1976), politician of local council and explorer 
* [[Rebecca Indermaur]] (born {{circa|1977}}), a Swiss film and television actress<ref>{{IMDb name|3142535|Rebecca Indermaur}}. Retrieved 21 November 2018.</ref>

=== Sport ===
* [[Rico Bianchi]] (born 1930), a Swiss rower, competed in the [[1952 Summer Olympics|1952]] and [[1960 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Yvonne Rüegg]] (born 1938), a Swiss former alpine skier, gold medallist in giant slalom at the [[1960 Winter Olympics]]
* [[Renato Tosio]] (born 1964), former ice hockey goaltender of EHC Chur
* [[Mario Frick (footballer)|Mario Frick]] (born 1974), a Swiss-born Liechtensteiner retired professional footballer was the manager for [[FC Vaduz]] between 2018 and 2021; 664 team games and 125 for his national team
* [[Giorgio Rocca]] (born 1975), an Italian former alpine skier 
* [[Thierry Paterlini]] (born 1975), a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman
* [[Binia Feltscher]] (born 1978), Swiss curler, silver medallist at the [[2006 Winter Olympics]]
* [[Nino Schurter]] (born 1986), mountain biker and Olympic gold medallist, lives in Chur
* [[Nino Niederreiter]] (born 1992), second highest NHL-drafted Swiss-born hockey player

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Georg Jenatsch.jpg|[[Georg Jenatsch]], 1636
File:Angelika Kauffmann - Self Portrait - 1784.jpg|[[Angelika Kauffmann]], self portrait, 1784
File:Schaff P.jpg|[[Philip Schaff]]
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146II-744, Kurt Huber.jpg|[[Kurt Huber]]
File:HR Giger 2012.jpg|[[H. R. Giger]], 2012
File:AUT vs. LIE 2015-10-12 (194).jpg|[[Mario Frick (footballer)|Mario Frick]], 2015
File:Nino Schurter at the Worlds 2011.jpg|[[Nino Schurter]], 2011
</gallery>

==Notes and references==
===Notes===
{{reflist|group=note}}

===References===
{{Reflist}}

===Literature===
* {{HDS|1581|Chur (municipality)|date=18 November 2015|rm=216}}
* A. Eichhorn, Episcopatus Curiensis (St Blasien, 1797)
* W. von Juvalt, ''Forschungen fiber die Feudalzeit im Curischen Raetien'', two parts (Zürich, 1871)
* C. Kind, ''Die Reformation in den Bistumern Chur und Como'' (Coire, 1858)
* Conradin von Moor, Geschichte von Curraetien (2 vols., Coire, 1870–1874)
* P. C. you Planta, ''Des alte Raetien'' (Berlin, 1872); Idem, Die Curraetischen Herrschaften in der Feudalzeit (Bern, 188i); Idem, ''Verfassungsgeschichte der Stadt Cur im Mittelalter'' (Coire, 1879); Idem, ''Geschichte von Graubünden'' (Bern, 1892).
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Coire | volume= 6 |last= Coolidge |first= William Augustus Brevoort |author-link= W. A. B. Coolidge|  page = 654 }}
* {{Catholic|wstitle=Chur}}
* [http://www.liechtenstein.li/en/eliechtenstein_main_sites/portal_fuerstentum_liechtenstein/fl-lil-leben_in_liechtenstein/fl-lil-religion.htm Principality of Liechtenstein homepage on religion]

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [https://www.chur.ch/ City of Chur – official website] {{in lang|de}}
* [http://www.churtourismus.ch/?L=4 Chur tourism office]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101205011452/http://en.graubuenden.ch/chur-switzerland.html?L=2&season=1 Chur on Graubünden Holidays, Switzerland; official Graubünden tourism office – English]

{{Municipalities of the Plessur Region}}
{{Cantons of Switzerland}}
{{List of European capitals by region}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Chur| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:Cantonal capitals of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Cities in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Cultural property of national significance in Grisons]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Grisons]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Rhine]]