The family book of the family Terz

The Chur city archivist Dr. Ulf Wendler found a interessting book with various entries aout events in Chur in an antiquarian bookshop. He bought it for the municipal archives of Chur. A closer look revealed that several authors had written a unique family book of this kind. A more detailed analysis revealed that the first part of this book was written by Johann Antoni Terz (1688-†1764), an silbling of Bernhard von Köhl. After his death, his son Bernhard Terz continued this family book until 1811.

The historian Friedrich Pieth published parts of the family book in the Bündner Monatsblatt in 1903. The author was not named. The quoted excerpts came from the pen of guild scribe Johann Antoni Terz, but the author had attributed this text to his son Pastor Bernhard Terz.

In this book, weddings, marriages and burials of acquaintances, guild members and relatives were meticulously noted, often supplemented with personal notes. The two authors also noted events in the town of Chur and the surrounding area, fires, floods, storms, scandals, even comet sightings.

These entries give a unique insight into events that took place in Chur in the 18th century.