1879

Donor Window from Johannes Vonzun

Chur, 1589

From the 15th century onwards, wealthy families had a penchant for donating stained-glass windows with their coat of arms to hang in council chambers, convents and inn parlours as a visible sign of their political or economic power. Johannes Vonzun was the bishop’s reeve in Ramosch and had previously ruled over the Valtellina, a subject territory of Graubünden, as Podestà [podestate]. His window used to hang in the bishop’s castle in Chur.

The generation of the museum‘s founders actively sought to preserve Graubünden stained glasses. They managed to build up a substantial collection of such works, which in turn prevented these from being sold.