The Wakker Prize 2025 goes to the Graubünden municipality of Poschiavo

lip/max. The Swiss Heritage Department has awarded the Graubünden municipality of Poschiavo the Wakker Prize 2025. The Homeland Security recognizes Poschiavo as a “role model for the successful interaction of tradition, progress and a sense of community,” as he announced on Tuesday.

Poschiavo lies at the foot of the southern slope of the Bernina Pass. It uses its peripheral location as an opportunity and combines independence, building culture and sustainable development into a future-oriented model for mountain regions, according to the Homeland Security. Historic buildings and contemporary architecture, innovative projects and a diverse range of cultural offerings would create quality of life and counteract migration.

A mountain village with a Mediterranean flair

Every year, the Wakker Prize honors a municipality that stands out particularly in terms of townscape and settlement development. The associated prize money of 20,000 francs is more of a symbolic character, says the Homeland Security: “The value of the award lies rather in the public recognition of exemplary performance.”

In Poschiavo, a once-flourishing trading town between Graubünden and Italy, Homeland Security sees a piece of history reflected. After an economic downturn at the end of the 18th century, many residents emigrated to seek their fortune as confectioners in European cities. They brought back prosperity and an urban flair. The elegant patrician houses, the “Palazzi”, which still shape the townscape today, bear witness to this. Together with the historically grown structure of Poschiavo, they are now registered in the Federal Inventory of Switzerland’s Sites of National Importance (ISOS) that are worthy of protection.

The architecture of the place shows that deep sectarian divides once ran through it. Since the Reformation, Poschiavo has been built predominantly by Protestants, the surrounding villages by Catholics. The frequent prosperity of the Reformed Church is reflected in the townscape: Poschiavo is reminiscent of noble Italian cities. The rather simple, rustic wooden and stone houses of the Catholic villages around it are reminiscent of the rugged surrounding mountains.

According to the Homeland Security, Poschiavo is also a role model for the careful use of building culture. New buildings are based on traditional principles in order to preserve the townscape. The Maiensäss outside the village center would also continue to be used and maintained.

Mayor Giovanni Jochum is pleased with the award. It honors the work of many locals, he is quoted as saying in a community statement. As an example, he mentions, among other things, the restoration of the terraced landscapes with the dry stone walls, which are now used again for growing vegetables and herbs. “There are young people who are coming back,” said Jochum on SRF. There were waves of emigration in the middle of the 19th century and the 20th century. Since 1990, however, the population has been growing again. “The small area of ​​the valley makes it possible for them to do something of their own.”

At the same time, however, it is impossible for young people to complete their high school diploma from Poschiavo. To this day, young people have to move to Chur, Samedan or Zuoz.

According to mayor Jochum, Poschiavo has a greater cultural offering than comparable towns. “This is thanks to the volunteer work of private individuals,” said Jochum. The entire population takes part.

Seclusion as a model

Homeland Security praises the fact that Poschiavo has turned its isolation into a model for regional independence. The community offers its own hospital, district heating systems, schools, a library, a cultural offering, in short: a considerable basic supply for the around 3,500 residents.

“This independence is a decisive factor in the fight against migration, which affects many mountain regions,” it says in a statement. Poschiavo proves that a strong community and clever planning are central building blocks for a future worth living.