Mineral springs in St. Moritz
The healing springs in St. Moritz are bubbling, carbonated and iron-containing mineral springs that established the reputation of St. Moritz . The Bronze Age spring version of St. Moritz is also one of the most important and famous finds in Alpine archeology.
prehistory
The Bronze Age spring version of St. Moritz was discovered in 1853 and recovered in 1907. On the basis of dendrochronological studies, the complex was dated to the end of 1411 BC. Dated. Bronze objects (two full-hilt swords, a sword fragment, a dagger, a needle) were found inside the hollowed out tree trunk. They were deposited there as consecration offerings in the Bronze Age.
Paracelsus
In the 16th century the first scientific treatises about the St. Moritz mineral springs appeared. The naturopath Paracelsus stayed in St. Moritz in 1535. Deeply impressed by the healing power of the springs, he praised them in his work on Tartar diseases with the following words:
“An acetosum fontale (Sauerbrunnen), which I have experienced for everyone in Europe, is in the Engadin zuo Sanct Mauritz; the same Brun runs on the acidist in Augusto. The same drink is to be drunk as a doctor deserves, who can say of health; and has no stone (nor sand), he has no podagra; no artherica; for so the stomach is strengthened and coroborated by digesting the tartarum as a straus an eysen; as a blackbird a spider; and not only the tartarum, but also other things, so illnesses in the people make their primae materia in the food and drink ... "
"Paracelsus"
development
Many well-known doctors subsequently came to St. Moritz, recognized the healing properties of the springs and drew up spa regulations. The springs were famous far beyond the country's borders and attracted many spa guests. In 1566 the spring was buried by floods and was neglected for a long time. At the end of the 16th century, a Polish nobleman had a simple hut built by the spring out of gratitude for a successful cure. Around 1667, Duke Victor Amadeus of Savoy offered to build an inn at the spring, which the community rejected, probably out of fear of competition for the landlords in the village. So the conditions around the spring remained miserable and the St. Moritz residents hardly used the gifts of nature for their guests.
In 1815, the younger citizens of St. Moritz took advantage of the absence of the conservative, older residents who were at the cattle market in Tirano to correct the Inn and drain the source area through a municipal resolution and to build a new road from the village to the bath to build. In 1831, on the initiative of some wealthy and commercially minded men, a stock corporation was founded and a small health resort was built. This brought a positive turnaround and the first heyday for St. Moritz.
Other buildings soon followed up to the construction of a new building, the later rebuilt spa hotel with 129 guest rooms and a dining room with 300 seats. The golden years for St. Moritz lasted from 1864 to 1914 and came to an abrupt end with the beginning of the First World War.
World wars
After the First World War , tourism recovered only slowly. The noble guests came only briefly; stars and nouveau riche came in their place. Instead of healing water, they were looking for parties, entertainment or sporting activities such as skiing, curling or ice skating. The focus of the season shifted from summer to winter and the idea of bathing faded into the background. Almost only the old spa guests remembered the healing power of the springs and used the powerful alpine moor of St. Moritz, which was newly used to treat rheumatic diseases.
The first Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz in 1928 were a tourist and sporting highlight . The upswing came to a quick end after a few years due to the economic crisis and the Second World War .
present
In 1976 the current spa center was rebuilt to save the traditional spa treatments. This was partly thanks to the dedication of the then spa director Peter Kasper.
exhibition
The oldest version of the Mauritius spring, previously exhibited in the basement ( Cuort ) of the Engadine Museum , has been in the newly designed Forum Paracelsus in St. Moritz-Bad since July 2014 . The exhibition there shows the history of the St. Moritz spa culture using interactive historical images and audio stations. In addition to the bronze age spring version, bronze age swords and drinking glasses from the St. Moriz spa are presented. St. Moritz sour water can be tasted at a modern drinking fountain.
Characteristic of the spring water
Calcium-sodium-hydrogen carbonate sourling, containing iron
Water analysis of the Mauritius spring
According to the analysis of December 14, 1998, 1 kilogram of water in the Mauritius spring contains:
| Cations | mg / l | mval / l | mval% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ammonium NH 4 + | <0.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Lithium Li + | 0.19 | 0.03 | 0.10 |
| Sodium Na + | 147.0 | 6.39 | 24.59 |
| Potassium K + | 3.5 | 0.09 | 0.35 |
| Magnesium Mg 2+ | 36.4 | 3.00 | 11.52 |
| Calcium Ca 2+ | 317.0 | 15.82 | 60.83 |
| Strontium Sr 2+ | 2.5 | 0.06 | 0.22 |
| Barium Ba 2+ | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Aluminum Al 3+ | 20 µg / l | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Cadmium Cd 2+ | <0.2 µg / l | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Iron Fe 2+ | 15.8 | 0.57 | 2.18 |
| Copper Cu 2+ | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Manganese Mn 2+ | 1.6 | 0.06 | 0.22 |
| Anions | mg / l | mval / l | mval% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluoride F - | 0.60 | 0.03 | 0.13 |
| Chloride Cl - | 20.0 | 0.58 | 2.26 |
| Bromide Br - | 0.13 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Iodide I - | <0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Nitrate NO 3 - | <0.1 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Nitrite NO 2 - | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Hydrogen carbonate HCO 3 - | 1235 | 20.24 | 80.95 |
| Sulfate SO 4 2− | 200.0 | 4.16 | 16.65 |
| Hydrogen phosphate HPO 4 2− | <0.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Hydrogen arsenate HAsO 4 2− | <1 µg / l | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Undissociated substances
Metosilicic acid H 2 SiO 3 44.5 mg / l
Gaseous substances as dissolved gas
Free carbon dioxide (CO 2 ): 2500 mg / l
Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S): <0.1 mg / l
Analysis of the bath bog
Physical and physico-chemical investigations
| pH value in naturally moist peat | 5.87 |
| Water capacity based on 1 g dry matter | 10.80 g |
| Water content at normal consistency = 100% water saturation | 91.53% |
| Sediment volume of the naturally moist bog related to 1 g dry matter | 22.02 ml |
| Degree of swelling | 3.74 |
| Density c 20 ° C based on dry matter | 1.64 |
| Density c 20 ° C based on normal consistency | 1.04 |
| Heat retention based on an average temperature of 5 ° C | 752 sec / cm² |
Chemical investigations
| Composition of organic matter | % based on dry matter | % based on bath porridge |
|---|---|---|
| Bitumen extract | 5.11 | 0.43 |
| Pectins | 2.01 | 0.17 |
| Hemicelluloses | 18.86 | 1.60 |
| Cellulose | 5.70 | 0.48 |
| Humic acids | 01/27 | 2.29 |
| Lignin , humins | 24.84 | 2.10 |
| Humic acids ( insoluble in acetyl bromide ) | 22.35 | 1.89 |
| Organic substances, total (insoluble in acetyl bromide) | 48.83 | 4.14 |
| Nitrogen compounds (calculated as nitrogen ) | 1.99 | 0.17 |
| total | 83.53 | 7.07 |
| Composition of minerals | % based on dry matter | % based on bath porridge | % based on mineral content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium oxide | 0.27 | 0.02 | 1.66 |
| Potassium oxide | 0.29 | 0.03 | 1.77 |
| Magnesium oxide | 0.49 | 0.04 | 2.98 |
| Calcium oxide | 3.83 | 0.33 | 23.26 |
| Alumina | 1.90 | 0.16 | 11.53 |
| Iron (III) oxide | 0.75 | 0.06 | 4.51 |
| chloride | 0.13 | 0.01 | 0.76 |
| Sulfur (VI) oxide | 2.11 | 0.18 | 12.79 |
| Silicon (IV) oxide | 6.70 | 0.57 | 40.68 |
| total | 16.47 | 1.40 | 99.94 |
literature
- Monika Oberhänsli: St. Moritz, Mauritiusquelle. The Bronze Age spring version. Archeology Graubünden, special issue 7th Chur / Glarus 2017.
- Historical chemical investigation from 1854
- Documentation library of St. Moritz with historical material
Web links
- Website of the new spa in St. Moritz
- Website of the St. Moritz Tourism Organization
- Source version St. Moritz animation / reconstruction as 3D scan, Ikonaut 2014
- Back to the source. In: Archeology Switzerland, 38/4, 2015, pp. 16–23.