Vaz/Obervaz

Vaz/Obervaz is a municipality in the Albula Region in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The municipality of Vaz/Obervaz includes the following villages: Lain, Muldain, Zorten, Lenzerheide, and Valbella, as well as the hamlets of Nivaigl, Fuso, Trantermoira, Sporz, Tgantieni, Sartons, Creusen and Obersolis.

No town of the name Vaz/Obervaz actually exists. Commonly, Lain, Muldain and Zorten make up the Obervaz region. Until 1943 Vaz/Obervaz was known as Obervaz. The area of Vaz/Obervaz extends from Parpan in the north to Alvaschein and Lantsch/Lenz in the south, and from the mountain chain of the Parpaner Rothorn in the east to the expansive alpine meadows of Piz Scalotta, Dani and Stätzerhorn. On the southern slope of Mount Crap la Pala, the land rises steeply up the sharply cut sides of the ravine of the Albula. Accordingly, the elevation differences within the municipality are large: from the lowest point of about 700 meters elevation in the Schin gorge, the highest point, on Mount Parapaner Rothorn, is 2865 meters in elevation. The main towns have an average elevation of , while the health resort of Lenzerheide has an elevation of about The municipality has an area, as of 2006, of , which makes Vaz/Obervaz one of the biggest municipalities in canton Graubünden. Of this area, 42% is used for agricultural purposes, while 39.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 6.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (12.4%) is non productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). Until 1900, the permanent population lived almost exclusively through agriculture, and the number of inhabitants remained nearly constant through the centuries. The Jenische (a race of nomadic people) who called Obervaz home were mostly on trips to peddle goods, and therefore hardly influenced the population statistics. Nevertheless, the death records show, between 1892 and 1905, 115 farmers, 2 table ware salesmen, and peddlers and one bell caster. (Source: Website of the municipal school of Vaz/Obervaz)

Even today many Jenische live in Vaz/Obervaz, for example, the Moser and Kollegger families; some even take public office. Other Jenische whose families' have called Vaz/Obervaz home live spread throughout Switzerland, particularly in the cities of St. Gallen, Zürich, and Basel. Still alive, although mostly in central Switzerland, are some "Vazer Jenische," in their "home wagons" who still follow their traditional trades. In all of Switzerland, the concept of "Vazer" was erroneously used as a synonym for Jenische or Gypsie for a long time; this (incorrect) meaning even found an entrance into the Historical Encyclopedia of Switzerland. Although the established Jenische of Obervaz are well integrated, the Vazer are, on the whole, understandably unhappy are still being labeled "Gypsies."

as of 2000, the gender distribution of the population was 50.5% male and 49.5% female. The age distribution, as of 2000, in Vaz/Obervaz is; 278 people or 10.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old. 148 people or 5.5% are 10 to 14, and 147 people or 5.5% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 387 people or 14.4% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 472 people or 17.5% are 30 to 39, 399 people or 14.8% are 40 to 49, and 322 people or 12.0% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 264 people or 9.8% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 186 people or 6.9% are 70 to 79, there are 76 people or 2.8% who are 80 to 89, and there are 12 people or 0.4% who are 90 to 99.

In the municipality of Vaz/Obervaz, Romansh and German are spoken. The Jenische language is heard in the village in individual expressions which have flown into the regional language. Those Jenische who live in town maintain their language only in their family circle, and in contact with those Jenische who live the traveler's life. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (82.1%), with Romansh being second most common (9.0%) and Portuguese being third (2.2%). + Language in Vaz/Obervaz Language Census 1980 Census 1990 Census 2000 Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent German 1,297 62.75% 1,728 74.77% 2,209 82.09%Romansh 594 28.74% 368 15.92% 243 9.03%Italian 66 3.19% 52 2.25% 49 1.82%Population 2,067 100% 2,311 100% 2,691 100%

The population of the municipality is predominantly Catholic. The Protestant church community has about 700 members. In the municipality of Obervaz there are eight Catholic churches, in addition to the Protestant church in Lenzerheide. After the Maria Goretti Church opened on July 24, 1977 in Valbella, every community in Obervaz had a church. Obersolis has a small pilgrimage church. From the 2000 census, 1,694 or 63.0% are Roman Catholic, while 655 or 24.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there are 43 individuals (or about 1.60% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 5 individuals (or about 0.19% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There are 45 (or about 1.67% of the population) who are Islamic. There are 18 individuals (or about 0.67% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 139 (or about 5.17% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 92 individuals (or about 3.42% of the population) did not answer the question. The Church of St. Luzius in Lain was first mentioned in 1508. It was totally rebuilt in 1678 80 and restored in 1962.