March 16, 1774, a Saturday, was a terrible day for Feldis - A report by Gieri Battaglia.
Feldis burned down almost completely 250 years ago
From Gieri Battaglia
A chimney fire broke out in the middle of the village, in the house of the mastral Paul Tscharner, shortly after 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, 1774. Some farmers were visiting a cattle market in Chur. Many men and women were already working in their fields. They returned to the village as quickly as possible and tried to extinguish the fire with the simplest means, such as buckets and tubs. But a strong wind was blowing. The fire spread to all four parts of the village. And soon almost the entire village was in flames. A terrible inferno! Within three hours, 39 houses and 27 stables were burnt down, along with their contents and provisions. The church was also affected. The roof and roof truss also caught fire, which was so hot that both bells melted. Only one house was spared from the flames: the house with the round arch and its stable in Starlaz on the road down to Domat/Ems.
The church records were also a victim of the fire. There was no safe in Feldis at the time. The books were stored unsecured in the rectory. All records of births, marriages and deaths before 1774 were lost. A bitter loss.
In addition to livestock, one person also died in this terrible village fire. The deaf-mute Purga Banzer was spinning and weaving. She apparently noticed the fire too late and perished in the flames. The Feldisers had literally lost everything within a short space of time. They had to sleep out in the open for the first night or seek shelter in the stables in Tuals and Tit. The Scheidner neighbors were generous. Many people from Feldis were allowed to stay with them temporarily. The people of Chur also showed solidarity. They sent money and food as support. Work quickly began on rebuilding the village. The church roof was rebuilt particularly quickly. And on the first Sunday in May, the then pastor Domenic a Porta was able to preach his sermon again in the little church in Feldis.
