History of Davos in Timeline

Davos, a town in the Swiss Alps, is home to just over 10,800 residents. Situated alongside the Landwasser River within the Rhaetian Alps, Davos is nestled between Plessur and Albula Ranges. Famous as a winter sports resort, it also hosts the annual World Economic Forum, a significant gathering of global leaders in politics, business, and other fields. Davos' high elevation and mountain setting make it a popular location for skiing, snowboarding, and other alpine activities.

1913: European Bandy Championships held in Davos

The 1913 European Bandy Championships took place in Davos.

1913: European Bandy Championship

The only European Bandy Championship took place in Davos in 1913.

1917: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's Arrival in Davos

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who depicted Davos and the Junkerboden in his later paintings, began living in Davos in 1917.

1919: Pre-1919 buildings in Davos

As of 2000, about 25.9% of the buildings in Davos were built before 1919.

1923: First Spengler Cup held in Davos

The first Spengler Cup, an international ice hockey tournament hosted by HC Davos, was held in 1923.

1936: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's Depiction of Davos

Between 1936 and 1938, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who had lived in Davos since 1917, created paintings of Davos and the Junkerboden, with Romantic and pantheistic elements.

1936: Assassination of Wilhelm Gustloff

In 1936, Swiss Nazi leader Wilhelm Gustloff was assassinated in Davos, causing tension with Nazi Germany.

1938: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's Depiction of Davos

Between 1936 and 1938, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who had lived in Davos since 1917, created paintings of Davos and the Junkerboden, with Romantic and pantheistic elements.

1985: Land Use Survey

A survey conducted in 1985 provided data on land use in Davos, which was later compared to the data collected in the 2004/09 survey.

1991: Buildings constructed between 1991 and 2000

Approximately 8.3% of buildings in Davos were built between 1991 and 2000, according to data from 2000.

2000: Demographics of Davos in 2000

As of 2000, the language demographics of Davos showed that 86.3% of the population spoke German, 2.8% spoke Serbo-Croatian, and 2.7% spoke Italian.

2000: Religious demographics in Davos as of 2000

As of the 2000 census, the religious makeup of Davos was as follows: 46.6% Swiss Reformed Church, 34.6% Roman Catholic, 0.09% Christian Catholic, 3.85% Orthodox Church, 2.40% other Christian denominations, 0.69% Muslim, 0.49% other faiths, and 0.07% Jewish. Additionally, 7.29% identified as having no faith, agnostic, or atheist, and 3.92% did not answer.

2000: Housing data for Davos in 2000

Of the inhabited buildings in Davos in 2000, approximately 30.7% were single-family homes and 39.1% were multiple-family buildings. Around 25.9% of the buildings were constructed before 1919, and 8.3% between 1991 and 2000.

March 2003: Winterjam festival in Davos

The Winterjam festival, featuring bands like Sum 41, Crazy Town, and Guano Apes, took place in Davos on March 14, 2003.

2004: Municipal Survey

A municipal survey conducted in 2004/09 showed that Davos covered an area of 284 sq km, with land use divided between agricultural, forested, settled, and unproductive areas.

2009: Merger with Wiesen

Following a merger with Wiesen in 2009, Davos became the largest municipality in Switzerland by area.

2010: Loss of "Largest Municipality" Title

After the formation of Glarus Süd in 2010, Davos lost its status as the largest municipality in Switzerland.

2010: Population Change

Between 2010 and 2014, the population of Davos changed at a rate of -0.27%.

2013: New housing construction rate in 2013

Davos had a new housing construction rate of 23.46 units per 1000 residents in 2013.

2014: International bandy tournament begins in Davos

An international bandy tournament was first organized in Davos in 2014.

2014: Employment statistics in Davos for 2014

Davos had 8,853 employed people in 2014. The primary sector employed 203 people in 80 businesses, the secondary sector employed 996 workers in 145 businesses, and the tertiary sector employed 7,654 people in 926 businesses. 5,211 employees worked in 908 small companies (less than 50 employees), 2,074 employees in 17 mid-sized businesses, and 369 employees in one large business. 23.5% of the population received social assistance.

2014: Resident Foreign Nationals

In 2014, 27.0% of Davos's population were resident foreign nationals. The birth rate in Davos was 9.1 and death rate was 8.2 per thousand residents.

2014: Population distribution by age group in 2014

In 2014, Davos's population was distributed as follows: 17.3% children and teenagers (0-19 years old), 64.5% adults (20-64 years old), and 18.2% seniors (over 64 years old).

2014: Household statistics for Davos in 2014

There were 5,441 private households in Davos in 2014, with an average size of 2.03 persons.

2015: Population Statistics

In 2015, 7.3% of the population in Davos was born in Germany and 6.9% in Portugal.

2015: Marital status and household composition in 2015

In 2015, Davos had 5,099 single residents, 4,666 married or in civil partnerships, 550 widows or widowers, and 794 divorced residents.

2015: Overnight stays in Davos hotels in 2015

In 2015, hotels in Davos recorded 797,348 overnight stays, with 46.9% being international visitors.

2015: Federal Election Results

In the 2015 federal election in Davos, the SVP received 30.0% of the votes, followed by FDP, BDP, SP, glp, and CVP. Voter turnout was 46.7%.

2015: Vacancy rate in Davos for 2015

The vacancy rate for Davos in 2015 was 0.71%.

2017: Administrative Reorganization

In 2017, Davos became part of the Prättigau/Davos Region following administrative changes.

2019: Federal Election Results

The 2019 federal election in Davos saw the SP as the most popular party with 21.3% of the vote. The SVP, FDP, CVP, and glp followed. Voter turnout was 41.8%.

December 2020: Population Statistics

As of December 2020, Davos had a population of 10,832. Additional data reveals 27.0% of the population were foreign nationals as of 2014.

2020: Population of Davos

In 2020, Davos had a permanent population of 10,832.

2022: Study Commissioned on Nazi Influence

Davos mayor Philip Willhelm commissioned a study in 2022 to document the history of Nazi influence in the town.

2023: Federal Election Results

In the 2023 federal election, the SVP was the most popular party in Davos with 29.1% of the votes, followed by the SP, Central Party, FDP, and glp. Voter turnout was 42.9%.