Christian Bruesch (1834-†1893) - city clerk of Chur

Son of Anna Köhl-Bruesch (1800-†1870) and Johannes Bruesch (1801-†1875).
Grandson of the relative Simeon Köhl (1760-†1845) and Ursula Hitz (1767-†1827).

Christian Brüsch was born as the youngest son of the Köhl-Bruesch family in Hinterwalde in Jenins and also spent his childhood there. In 1848, Christian was allowed to enter the cantonal school in Chur due to his excellent grades and graduated in 1855.

During this time he probably lived first with his aunt Elisabeth Hertner-Köhl and then with his parents, who had also moved to Chur at that time. Afterwards he studied theology in Tübingen and Basel. In 1858 he was admitted to the synod and then served as pastor in Luzein (1859-62), Conters (1862-69) and Haldenstein (1869-1875). He also lived in each of these parishes. In 1973 his widowed father moved in with him in Haldenstein and Christian accompanied him in the last years of his life. In 1875 his father Johannes died at his son's home. Christian buried him in Haldenstein.

Christian then gave up his position as pastor and in the same year was elected town clerk in Chur by the civic community. In February 1876 he took up his position as town clerk in Chur. As such he kept the purchase and pledge records and was present at criminal trials. He was to hold this weighty office until his death. He lived temporarily in house No. 16 (Hof 4) and moved in the following year to house No. 588 (Ottostrasse 17), very close to the Villa Schönfels. He probably lived here for the next 12 years.

Christian was very well-read and interested in history. Thus, he was a member of the Graubünden Natural History Society. Another member of this society was a distant relative, Johann Coaz (1822-†1918) - Chief Forest Inspector, who like Christian was an enthusiastic alpinist and member of the SAC Räthien. Christian was also a member of the Historisch-Antiquarischen Gesellschaft von Graubünden, writing articles about Haldenstein and the coinage. Furthermore, he was actuary of the Chur traffic commission and participated in the realization of the introduction of the agricultural winter school.^[90]

As town clerk, he brought new order to the purchase records, reorganized other areas and was considered thorough and very correct. However, the workload was very heavy and so he asked the city council several times for relief.

In 1889 Christian bought the Villa Schönfels in the quarry of Chur for 19'000.--^[1]. He expanded the Villa and devoted himself to his garden, vegetable and fruit growing and beekeeping, for which he was known far and wide. In 1893, the restless town clerk Christian Bruesch died a few days after a stroke in the city hospital of Chur. He never married and died without descendants.^[89]

The heirs of Christian Bruesch blessed, Johann Ulrich (23) and Christian Simon Wohlwend (21) in Pontresina (sons of Bartholome Wohlwend, who was presumably already ill), Mr. Johannes Veni in Jenins as authorized representative of the brothers Peter & Johannes Bruesch living in America, sold the Villa Schönfels in 1896 for 30'000.--. With that, just about all the loans could be covered^[1].