Crimes in the city of Chur and their punishment

The city watchman was the chief watchman of the city of Chur. As city watchmen, they were involved in inspections and arrests and often had to give testimonies.

• 1768-70 und 1798/99: Leutnant Joseph Köhl (1745-†1825)
• 1786-89:Stadtwachtmeister Köhl Peter (1748-†~1825)
• 1786: Antoni Köhl (1718-†1789)
• Corporal Friedrich Köhl
• Hauptmann Christian Köhl (1755-†1807)

Employed by the city guard between 1768 and 1800 and are mentioned variously in documents.

Der Prozess gegen Jacob Küng

In the fall of 1755, a trial was held against Jacob Küng, carpenter, from Hundwil, his wife Judith from Altstätten and his son Johannes. Küng was accused of having stolen hay, wine, crops, pewter dishes, etc. for years. His wife is said to have helped him, the son is said to have been an accomplice in the last theft and to have stolen himself.

Various statements were taken, including that of Peter Köhl, son of head guild master Bernhard Köhl.

A harsh sentence was passed: "Küng shall be beheaded, his wife led to the freestone, whipped to the blood at the crossroads, branded and banished forever from the three confederations, she has to swear an original vow. John is also to be whipped, and the remaining children are to be handed over to their mother at the freestone."

But clemency was then granted and the following verdict of mercy passed: "Küng must go to the pillory for 1/2. hr. and is then led like his wife to the freestone and thereby whipped - he to the blood - she less firmly -, branded and banished, they have to swear a primal vow; the son has to watch the execution of the verdict."

The trial had brought to light various other misdemeanors (theft of wood, irregularities in the accounting of the city's daily wages, etc.) of other persons, all of which were punished with imprisonment or fines.^[49]

The last execution in Chur was carried out in 1846. A knacker named Johannes Reidt was beheaded for an incestuous relationship with his daughter and the "intellectual authorship" of the killing of the child that resulted from this relationship. His heirs had to bear all the costs, including those of his beheading. Since the former place of execution on the Rosenhügel, also called Galgenhügel, was abandoned in 1834 in the course of a road construction, the execution took place on a slightly more distant hill.^[50]

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Impressum und rechtliche Hinweise