Glaris

Title

Glaris

Map shows the town of Glaris in Graubünden, Swiss coat of arms on reverse.

ca. 1550

Artist

Münster (1489-1552)

Sebastian Münster (1489–1552) was a leading Renaissance cosmographer. His most famous work, the Cosmographia (1544), was a comprehensive description of the world with 24 maps, based on research dating back to 1528. Continuously revised, the 1550 edition already included many new maps. It was the first scientific yet accessible world description published in German, illustrated with numerous woodcuts by artists such as Hans Holbein the Younger. Between 1544 and 1650, the Cosmographia appeared in 46 editions (27 in German) and was translated into several languages. Münster’s work combined the knowledge of scholars, artists, and travelers and remained influential long after his death.

Historical Description

Like the entire Davos landscape, Glaris was settled by the Walsers at the end of the 13th century. Around 1350 the church of St. Nicholas was built, which underwent alterations in 1613 and 1682. Until the beginning of the 20th century, agriculture (barley, rye) played an important role; since then, cattle breeding and tourism have been the predominant occupations.