The

Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...

style Grand Hotel Hotel Waldhaus Vulpera with

Sgraffito (; ) is an artistic or decorative technique of scratching through a coating on a hard surface to reveal parts of another underlying coating which is in a contrasting colour. It is produced on walls by applying layers of plaster tinted in con ...

-Elements was one of the first addresses in the

Swiss Alps The Alps, Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps, represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main Physica ...

and was a major

Belle Époque The Belle Époque () or La Belle Époque () was a period of French and European history that began after the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 and continued until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era of the Fr ...

monument in Europe. With its 270 beds it was the largest hotel in

Scuol Scuol () is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Engiadina Bassa/Val Müstair Region in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Grisons. The official language in Scuol is Romansh language, Romansh. On 1 January 2 ...

Tarasp Tarasp is a former municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Inn District, Switzerland, Inn in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Graubünden. Its eleven settlements are situated within the Lower Engadin ...

-Vulpera and was one of the most important new hotel buildings in the 19th century and is thus a piece of

architectural history The history of architecture traces the changes in architecture through various traditions, regions, overarching stylistic trends, and dates. The beginnings of all these traditions is thought to be humans satisfying the very basic need of shelt ...

History

The Grand Hotel Waldhaus Vulpera was erected 1896–97 by the architect Nikolaus Hartmann senior (1838–1903), it was opened on June 8, 1897. Among the frequent visitors was also

Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant- ...

, who was inspired by the Grand Hotel for his last novel “Durcheinandertal”. In 1988 the hotel was closed for renovation and guided tours were offered which also included the big kitchen, which was planned to be transformed in a swimming pool during the renovation works. On 27 May 1989 the hotel was destroyed by

conflagration A conflagration is a large fire in the built environment that spreads via structure to structure ignition due to radiant or convective heat, or ember transmission. Conflagrations often damage human life, animal life, health, and/or property. A c ...

which seemed to be a case of

arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...

. The annual report of the Graubünden Insurance Company lists the following: Total loss Hotel Waldhaus

, Amount of loss: 23 Million Swiss Francs. Today the site is transformed in a park, which incorporates architectural remains (such as cast iron columns) of the Grand Hotel The Hotel Waldhaus Vulpera served as model hotel for Dürrenmatts last novel “Durcheinandertal”. After Dürrenmatt had finished his manuscript, in which the hotel burns down, the real Hotel Waldhaus also burned down. Charlotte Kerr and Friedrich Dürrenmatt visited the hotel ruins in autumn 1989.

Exhibitions

* ''Hotel architecture then and now.'' (2008–2009) Das Gelbe Haus Flims. This exhibitions presents ten hotel biographies, among them „WALDHAUS VULPERA – a case of arson?“.

Movies

The Hotel Waldhaus was used for the BBC-production of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel «Tender is the Night». There is also a TV documentary about the hotel's history and the conflagration: *

Tender is the Night ''Tender Is the Night'' is the fourth and final novel completed by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the French Riviera during the twilight of the Jazz Age, the 1934 novel chronicles the rise and fall of Dick Diver, a promising young ...

(1985) BBC TV-production of the novel ''Tender is the Night'' (F. Scott Fitzgerald) * ''Brand des Hotel Waldhaus in Vulpera'' (1989) by Claudia Knapp 6 mins.

Literature

* Roland Flückiger-Seiler: ''Hotelträume zwischen Gletschern und Palmen. Hotelpaläste zwischen Traum und Wirklichkeit. Schweizer Tourismus und Hotelbau 1830–1920.'' Hier und Jetzt, Baden 2003, , Pages. 166–219. * Kristiana Hartmann: ''Baumeister in Graubünden: Drei Generationen Nicolaus Hartmann (1850 bis 1950)'' Desertina, Chur 2015, . * M. Jakob: ''Der Park der Villa Wilhelmina.'' Graubünden Magazin, Sommer 2005, Pages. 8–17. * Marcella Maier: ''Alte Gärten in der Schweiz: Kurpark Vulpera.'' Anthos. Zeitschrift für Freiraumgestaltung, Grün- und Landschaftsplanung, 1995, Band 34 (2), Page. 39. * Ulrich Weber: ''Das Kurhaus im «Durcheinandertal». Friedrich Dürrenmatt und das «Waldhaus Vulpera»'' In: Cordula Seger (Hrsg.): ''Grand Hotel. Bühne der Literatur.'' Dölling und Galitz, München 2007, , Pages. 159–171. * Jochen Philipp Ziegelmann: ''Waldhaus Vulpera: Geheimnisse eines Grandhotels.'' BoD – Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2020, . ;Novels * Friedrich Dürrenmatt: ''Durcheinandertal.'' Diogenes, Zürich 1989; Neuausgabe 1998, . * Pauline Lenz: ''Die Kurärztin. Ein Roman nach dem Leben.'' Die Rose, München-Unterhaching 1959.

External links

Hotel Waldhaus Vulpera
* Heiner Hug
Wenn Hotelangestellte Regenwürmer für die Gäste suchen
Journal 21 vom 8. November 2019. * Michèle Schell
Vor dreissig Jahren zerstörte ein Grossbrand das Hotel Waldhaus Vulpera
Neue Zürcher Zeitung vom 27. Mai 2019.
Hotel Waldhaus als Schauplatz des Romans "Durcheinandertal" von Friedrich Dürrenmatt
{{Coord, 46, 47, 15.51239, N, 10, 17, 20.81, E, type:landmark, display=title Waldhaus Vulpera Scuol Buildings and structures in Graubünden Belle Époque