Willem Holsboer the developer of Davos
Willem Holsboer was born in Zutphen (The Netherlands) in 1834 as the third of 8 children. His father was an entrepreneur in textile. For Willem this was not the life he liked to live. So he left his family when he was 14 years old to work as a boy on a boat. His career went fast via first mate to captain. On one of his trips he arrived in San Francisco when the gold rush started and all his boats men left the ship. With the new crew he went back and reached Europe but after a mutiny on his ship. This was possibly one of the reasons that he not wanted to continue his work at sea. A bank in Amsterdam offered him a new job. It seems that he learned quickly because in a short time he was sent to an English dependence of the bank in London. There he also made a very steep career and became in a short time co-director of the bank. In the year 1865, 31 years old, he married Margaret Newell Jones who was then 18 years old. They were very happy till she got tuberculosis. They had heard about the possibilities of a successful treatment in Davos and so they went there. Unfortunately the disease got worse very fast. Notwithstanding the special attention she got from Dr. Spengler she died in 1867. Willem Holsboer had become a friend of Dr Spengler, believer in his approach and he saw a future for Davos as a fresh air health center. Therefore he stayed and became the developer of Davos.
The Kurhouse Holsboer-Spengler
The first thing he did was to create together with his friend Dr. Spengler a sanitarium hotel, the Kurhouse Holsboer-Spengler, which had rooms for 50 people, patients and their companions. This hotel was finished in 1871 but was in 1872 destroyed by a fire while the hotel was completely full. Fortunately nobody died and they were moved to a new part which was in preparation. This was of course a shock but within a short time he organized the money for a new building by creating a company of shareholders. This new hotel was ready for use in 1874 and it was of course nicer and more adjusted for the patients that were to be expected. Many other people followed his example building villas and hotels around the Kurhotel now called just “Kurhouse Holsboer”.
For the development of Davos it was also very important that the British entrepreneur Coester followed the example of Holsboer and built the Grandhotel Belvedere for British guests, although others were also allowed to live there of course. When Holsboer created a small ice track close to the Kurhouse, Coester created a bigger one close to the Belvedere. That brought Holsboer to create an even bigger one on the place where it still is now. This place became a center of the town where the people met each other on the skates or in the pavilion. To realize the next steps in the developments of Davos coordination of activities was needed .
The first thing he did was to create together with his friend Dr. Spengler a sanitarium hotel, the Kurhouse Holsboer-Spengler, which had rooms for 50 people, patients and their companions. This hotel was finished in 1871 but was in 1872 destroyed by a fire while the hotel was completely full. Fortunately nobody died and they were moved to a new part which was in preparation. This was of course a shock but within a short time he organized the money for a new building by creating a company of shareholders. This new hotel was ready for use in 1874 and it was of course nicer and more adjusted for the patients that were to be expected. Many other people followed his example building villas and hotels around the Kurhotel now called just “Kurhouse Holsboer”.
For the development of Davos it was also very important that the British entrepreneur Coester followed the example of Holsboer and built the Grandhotel Belvedere for British guests, although others were also allowed to live there of course. When Holsboer created a small ice track close to the Kurhouse, Coester created a bigger one close to the Belvedere. That brought Holsboer to create an even bigger one on the place where it still is now. This place became a center of the town where the people met each other on the skates or in the pavilion. To realize the next steps in the developments of Davos coordination of activities was needed .
Holsboer created the Kurverein
The coordination was needed in order first of all to construct roads and street lights. Besides, they also had to organize cultural and physical entertainment for the guests. As in all Health centers there had to be a Centre for music and orchestras had to be hired. Willem Holsboer took the initiative to ask from his guests 1 frank per stay (Kur tax) to support these activities. Although this initiative led to a lot of problems, described in the book by Ferdmann, the Kurverein was indeed created and has taken care of all these necessary tasks. Later decisions to develop the village Davos in a more civilized town were also made such as constructing a sewage system and water management. Given the lack of a local government taking up these tasks in Davos Platz Holsboer as leading figure of the Kurverein realized all these essential improvements. But it was still a town that was far away from the civilized world because there was no good transport from the closest by town to Davos. To solve this problem was probably the most important contribution of Willem Holsboer to Davos.
The coordination was needed in order first of all to construct roads and street lights. Besides, they also had to organize cultural and physical entertainment for the guests. As in all Health centers there had to be a Centre for music and orchestras had to be hired. Willem Holsboer took the initiative to ask from his guests 1 frank per stay (Kur tax) to support these activities. Although this initiative led to a lot of problems, described in the book by Ferdmann, the Kurverein was indeed created and has taken care of all these necessary tasks. Later decisions to develop the village Davos in a more civilized town were also made such as constructing a sewage system and water management. Given the lack of a local government taking up these tasks in Davos Platz Holsboer as leading figure of the Kurverein realized all these essential improvements. But it was still a town that was far away from the civilized world because there was no good transport from the closest by town to Davos. To solve this problem was probably the most important contribution of Willem Holsboer to Davos.
The train from Landquart to Davos
Landquart was the closest by town that was connected by train with cities like Chur, Zurich, Bern and via these towns with the rest of Europe. To create a connection by train from Landquart to Davos Holsboer created in 1888 a shareholders company and in 1890 the first train was running to Davos which was an impressive result if one realized that the train had to climb to nearly 2000 meters in the mountains to reach Davos. Soon this company created other connection by train to Sankt Moritz, the Engerdin and the Bernina line to Italy. Now this network of train connections is known as the “Rhätische Bahn” and is recognized as a world heritage monument by the Unesco. All skaters who went to Davos used this train and enjoyed the beautiful trip to their beloved Davos. Some, like the author, have even made the magnificent trip with this train to Italy over the famous Bernina pass.
Landquart was the closest by town that was connected by train with cities like Chur, Zurich, Bern and via these towns with the rest of Europe. To create a connection by train from Landquart to Davos Holsboer created in 1888 a shareholders company and in 1890 the first train was running to Davos which was an impressive result if one realized that the train had to climb to nearly 2000 meters in the mountains to reach Davos. Soon this company created other connection by train to Sankt Moritz, the Engerdin and the Bernina line to Italy. Now this network of train connections is known as the “Rhätische Bahn” and is recognized as a world heritage monument by the Unesco. All skaters who went to Davos used this train and enjoyed the beautiful trip to their beloved Davos. Some, like the author, have even made the magnificent trip with this train to Italy over the famous Bernina pass.
Holdboers last achievement
The last contribution to Davos by Holsboer and his sons in law was the creation of the famous Schatzalp hotel, 200 meters above Davos, with a beautiful view on the surrounding mountains. To reach this hotel they also installed a rag railway that brings the guests from the main street of Davos directly to the hotel. This is one of the nicest places in Davos where one can still enjoy the fresh air and magnificent views on the mountains around. I suppose that all skaters that went to Davos have at least once visited this place to relax of all their sport activities. This hotel played an important role in the famous book “The Zauberberg” about the life in a Kurhotel by Thomas Mann which has also lead to a movie which is very illustrative for the life at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century in a Kurhotel.
Willem Holsboer died by a heart attack in the year 1898. Without his vision and work power Davos had probably never obtained its present status as one of the nicest winter resorts in the world.