Davos

Davos lies high in the valley of the Landwasser, between the Plessur and Albula ranges of the Rhaetian Alps. First recorded as Tavaus in 1213, it was settled by Rhaeto-Romans and, from about 1280, by German-speaking Walser colonists admitted by the barons of Vaz. An agreement in 1289 granted the settlers extensive self-government and replaced personal taxes with an annual payment in goods.

Davos retained the right to elect its own magistrate when it passed to the counts of Toggenburg in 1338. In 1436 the League of the Ten Jurisdictions was founded here. A treaty two years later confirmed earlier rights, exempted residents from trade taxes within the league and limited their military obligations. After Duke Sigismund of Tyrol acquired Davos in 1466, the community sought support from the other Rhaetian leagues, helping bring about their alliance in 1471.