History of Davos in Timeline

Davos is a resort town and municipality situated in the Prättigau/Davos Region within the canton of Grisons, Switzerland. Nestled in the Rhaetian Alps between the Plessur and Albula Ranges, it lies on the river Landwasser. As of 2020, Davos has a permanent population of 10,832 residents.

1900: Peder Østlund set world records

In 1900, the Norwegian Peder Østlund set four world records in speed skating in Davos.

1913: Davos hosts European Bandy Championships

In 1913, Davos hosted the European Bandy Championships.

1913: European Bandy Championship held in Davos

In 1913, Davos hosted the only European Bandy Championship.

1917: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner lived in Davos

Since 1917, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner lived in Davos.

1919: Building construction period

About 25.9% of the buildings in Davos were built before 1919.

1923: Spengler Cup first held

In December 1923, the Spengler Cup, an international ice hockey tournament, was first held in Davos.

1936: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner depicted Davos

In 1936, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who had been living in Davos since 1917, began to depict Davos and the Junkerboden in his paintings, showcasing a Romantic and pantheistic atmosphere with a simplified formal structure.

1936: Wilhelm Gustloff's assassination

In 1936, Swiss Nazi leader Wilhelm Gustloff's assassination in Davos led to tensions with Nazi Germany.

1938: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner depicted Davos

In 1938, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who had been living in Davos since 1917, continued to depict Davos and the Junkerboden in his paintings, showcasing a Romantic and pantheistic atmosphere with a simplified formal structure.

1985: Changes in land usage since 1985

Since 1985, agricultural land in Davos has decreased by 736 hectares, while forested land has increased by 481 hectares.

1991: Building construction period

About 8.3% of the buildings in Davos were built between 1991 and 2000.

2000: Language spoken in Davos

As of 2000, German was the most spoken language in Davos (86.3%), with Serbo-Croatian (2.8%) and Italian (2.7%) being the second and third most common.

2000: Religious affiliation

From the 2000 census, 46.6% of the population belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church while 34.6% are Roman Catholic.

2000: Building types in Davos

Of the 2,133 inhabited buildings in Davos in 2000, about 30.7% were single family homes and 39.1% were multiple family buildings.

March 2003: Winterjam festival held in Davos

On 14 March 2003, a festival called Winterjam was held in Davos, with bands such as Sum 41, Crazy Town, and Guano Apes performing.

2004: Davos land usage in 2004/09 survey

According to the 2004/09 survey, about 35.0% of the area is used for agricultural purposes, 22.2% is forested, 2.3% is settled, and 40.5% is unproductive land.

2004: Davos area survey

As of the 2004 survey, the municipality of Davos covers an area of 284 square kilometers.

2009: Davos largest municipality in Switzerland

In 2009, Davos became the largest municipality in Switzerland after a municipal merger with Wiesen.

2010: Davos lost distinction after formation of Glarus Süd

In 2010, Davos lost its distinction as the largest municipality in Switzerland after the formation of Glarus Süd.

2010: Population change rate

Over the four years from 2010 to 2014, the population of Davos changed at a rate of -0.27%.

2013: Construction rate of new housing units

In 2013 the rate of construction of new housing units per 1000 residents was 23.46.

2014: Foreign nationals in Davos population

As of 2014, 27.0% of the population of Davos were resident foreign nationals.

2014: Age distribution in Davos

As of 2014, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) made up 17.3% of the population in Davos.

2014: Employment statistics in Davos

As of 2014, there were a total of 8,853 people employed in the municipality of Davos, with significant portions in the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors.

2014: International Bandy tournament started

In 2014, an international Bandy tournament, starting in 2014, has been organised.

2014: Private households in Davos

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

2015: Overnight stays in local hotels

In 2015 local hotels in Davos had a total of 797,348 overnight stays, of which 46.9% were international visitors.

2015: Marital status of residents

In 2015 there were 5,099 single residents, 4,666 people who were married or in a civil partnership, 550 widows or widowers and 794 divorced residents.

2015: Birthplace of Davos population

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

2015: Federal election results

In the 2015 federal election, the SVP was the most popular party with 30.0% of the votes.

2015: Vacancy rate in Davos

The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2015, was 0.71%.

2017: Davos part of the Prättigau/Davos Region

Since 2017, the municipality is part of the Prättigau/Davos Region.

2019: Federal election results

In the 2019 federal election, the SP was the most popular party with 21.3% of the votes.

December 2020: Davos population in December 2020

As of December 2020, Davos has a population of 10,832.

2020: Davos population in 2020

In 2020, the permanent population of Davos was recorded at 10,832.

2022: Study commissioned on Nazi influence in Davos

In 2022, Davos mayor Philip Willhelm commissioned a study from historian Stefan Keller documenting the history of Nazi influence in Davos.

2023: Federal election results

In the 2023 federal election, the SVP was the most popular party with 29.1% of the votes.

September 2024: Grand Country Council election

On 22 September 2024, the last regular election of the Grand Country Council was held.

September 2024: Last regular election held

The last regular election (Landschaftswahlen) was held on 22 September 2024.

January 2025: Grand Country Council mandate period starts

In January 2025, the mandate period for the Grand Country Council starts.

2025: Composition of Davos's Small Country Council

As of 2025, Davos's Small Country Council is made up of two members of SP (Social Democratic Party), of whom one is the president), and one each of FDP (FDP.The Liberals), SVP (Swiss People's Party), and GLP (Green Liberal Party).