History of Samnaun

The history of Samnaun is closely linked to that of the Lower Engadin. The first settlers who, between 800 and 1000 A.D. arrived in Samnaun in their search for new pasture land came from Lower Engadin. Up to 1800 the Romanic language was almost exclusively spoken in the families. Today the Samnauner speaks a Tyrolean dialect, which in fact comes from South Bavaria and - with this very special coloration - is only met within our valley.

The first settlers who, between 800 and 1000 A.D., entered the Samnaun valley in search of new pasturing meadows came from Lower Engadin. Samnaun served as a spring meadow and was later a fraction of the Ramosch community. So Samnaun's history is to a great extent identical with Lower Engadin's. Witness to the old Rhaeto-Romanic culture are above all the place-, meadowland- and mountain names.

Detailed information about the Samnaun meadow names are contained in the book "Place and meadow names of the Samnaun community" obtainable at the Samnaun Tourist Office.

Contact Information

Gäste-Info Samnaun
Dorfstrasse 4
7563 Samnaun-Dorf
Tel. +41 (0)81 868 58 58
Fax +41 (0)81 868 56 52
samnaun@engadin.com
www.samnaun.ch

The sole connections with the outside world were the passes to Engadin and Paznaun as well as an oxen-cart path from Spiss to Pfunds. Over this oxen-cart path a lively trade with the neighbouring Tyrol developed.

In spite of the cultural influences emanating from Tyrol, the linguistic conditions remained unchanged over centuries. Up to about 1800 families spoke almost exclusively Romanic. The last Samnaun inhabitant who was familiar with the Romanic speech died in 1935.

The centralization of the Swiss Customs in 1848 put an abrupt end to the trade with Tyrol. With it the inhabitants of Samnaun lost an important source of income. In 1888 for the first time and again in 1892, on this occasion supported by the Ramosch district and the Canton Graubünden - the Samnauners petitioned the Federal authorities to exclude them from the Swiss Customs area. In 1892 the Federal Council acceded to this request and Samnaun became a duty-free area. The Federal government made this decision chiefly because there was no direct access road through Swiss territory to Samnaun and consequently the import of foodstuff to the valley was made more expensive by the imposed customs tax.