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: 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.
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: 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.
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.
2004: Land Use Survey
In the 2004/09 survey, details of land use in Davos were recorded, including changes in building areas, recreational spaces, agricultural land, and forested areas compared to 1985.
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: Household statistics for Davos in 2014
There were 5,441 private households in Davos in 2014, with an average size of 2.03 persons.
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: 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: 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: International bandy tournament begins in Davos
An international bandy tournament was first organized in Davos in 2014.
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%.
September 2024: Landschaftswahlen
The last regular election (Landschaftswahlen) for Davos's Small Country Council was held on 22 September 2024.
September 2024: Grand Country Council Election
The last regular election of the Grand Country Council was held on 22 September 2024, for the mandate period from January 2025 to December 2028.
January 2025: Grand Country Council Mandate Period
The mandate period for the current Grand Country Council, elected in September 2024, began in January 2025 and ends in December 2028.
2025: Composition of Small Country Council
As of 2025, Davos's Small Country Council is made up of members from SP, FDP, SVP, and GLP.
2025: Small Country Council Mandate Period
The mandate period for Davos's Small Country Council is 2025-2028, presided over by Landammann Philipp Wilhelm.
2025: Grand Country Council Mandate Period
The mandate period for the Grosse Landrat of Davos is 2025-2028.
December 2028: Grand Country Council Mandate Period
The mandate period for the current Grand Country Council, elected in September 2024, began in January 2025 and ends in December 2028.
2028: Small Country Council Mandate Period
The mandate period for Davos's Small Country Council is 2025-2028, presided over by Landammann Philipp Wilhelm.
2028: Grand Country Council Mandate Period
The mandate period for the Grosse Landrat of Davos is 2025-2028.