Candidature UNESCO World Heritage | Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Cultural Landscape | www.rhb-unesco.ch 3. Justification for Inscription 3.a Criteria under which inscription is proposed 3��61 (and justification for inscription under these criteria) 3.b Proposed Statement of Outstanding Universal Value 3�3 3.c Comparative analysis (including state of conservation 367�� of similar properties) 3.c.� Identifying comparable railways 3��67 3.c.2 Comparison of railways 374� 3.c.3 Comparison of the cultural landscape ��2� 3.c. Overall view of the comparison ��5� 3.d Integrity and / or Authenticity 46�5 3. Justification for Inscription > Table of contents 359 Candidature UNESCO World Heritage | Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Cultural Landscape | www.rhb-unesco.ch Albula line > The steep climb between Bergün/Bravuogn and Preda called for a complicated alignment with numerous engineering struc- tures. A Rhaetian Railway passenger train crossing the Albula Viaduct III. Foto Geiger 3. Justification for Inscription > 3.a Criteria under which inscription is proposed 360 Candidature UNESCO World Heritage | Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Cultural Landscape | www.rhb-unesco.ch 3.a Criteria under which inscription is proposed (and justification for inscription under these criteria) The property is nominated according to Criteria Criterion iv i, ii and iv pursuant to Paragraph 77 of the Op- In exceptional fashion, the “Rhaetian Railway erational Guidelines for the Implementation of in the Albula/Bernina Cultural Landscape” is an the World Heritage Convention on the following example as unique as it is typical of a mountain grounds: railway integrated into an Alpine landscape. The Albula line, with its spectacular alignment and Criterion i original engineering structures that represent a The “Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina most impressive technical achievement, is an out- Cultural Landscape” is an exceptional master- standing ‘product’ of the golden age of high alti- piece generated by the creative interaction of engi- tude railways. From the outset, it was recognised neering acumen, technical innovation and perfect as a transport route most harmoniously embed- craftsmanship, as well as by the exploitation of ded in the landscape. The Bernina railway, as an the financial and economic resources but also the electric surface railway at exceptionally high al- socio-cultural developments and the spectacular titude and with extreme upgrades, is a unique ex- natural beauty of the surroundings, resulting in a ample of the application of a technology that was Gesamtkunstwerk. The “Rhaetian Railway in the highly innovative about 1900, but would soon Albula/Bernina Cultural Landscape” is a unique become widespread. What is more, the develop- achievement constructed when mountain railway ment of its alignment was planned with a view to building was at its height. the best possible integration into the surrounding landscape. The Albula/Bernina line, as a railway Criterion ii that traverses an entire mountain range, links The “Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Cul- three distinct linguistic and cultural regions. To tural Landscape” is an excellent example of an Al- this day, it remains in full service, transporting pine cultural landscape that has been significantly passengers and goods. influenced by tourism. The railway structures in a landscape with high cultural and natural values, and the spatial planning and cultural developments actuated by the construction of the railway are symbolic of the history of tourism in the Alps; and at the same time, with respect to world-wide cultur- al history, exemplary of the perception of the Alps as a sublime experience of the relationship between nature, culture and technology. 3. Justification for Inscription > 3.a Criteria under which inscription is proposed 361 Candidature UNESCO World Heritage | Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Cultural Landscape | www.rhb-unesco.ch Bernina line > The daring alignment at Alp Grüm ensures an unimpeded view of the landscape. C. Gilli /Rhaetian Railway 3. Justification for Inscription > 3.b Proposed Statement 3�2 Candidature UNESCO World Heritage | Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Cultural Landscape | www.rhb-unesco.ch 3.b Proposed Statement of Outstanding Universal Value The “Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina the Bernina line was linked with that of the pow- Cultural Landscape” as proposed, comprises the er plant to generate energy for Milan, which was railway line as a technical monument integrat- then in progress following an Italian initiative, ing – within precisely defined boundaries – the and benefited from the capital released by this surrounding cultural landscape. The transnation- project. Further, the demands of tourism were al perimeter of the site reflects all the mutually reflected in planning the alignment to enhance a influential structural, cultural and natural fac- special mountain experience for passengers trav- tors of the phenomenon of railway in a broader elling in the train. Consequently, a new technol- context. ogy was adopted for this section, building the mountain railway as an electric ‘surface railway’. The outstanding universal value of the “Rhaetian The “Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Railway in the Albula/Bernina Cultural Land­ Cultural Landscape” is an outstanding example scape” can be substantiated with several ar- of a masterpiece, the creation by the diverse in- guments. The railway and its surrounding teraction between economics, politics, technol- landscape constitute an inter-active “Gesa- ogy, culture and nature. mtkunstwerk”. The construction of the railway line was made possible by the extraordinarily The complementary aspect – the combination creative exploitation of technical, economic and of two different kinds of mountain railway, on socio-cultural influences: on the political level, the one hand with crest tunnels (and the equally the cohesion of the culturally and linguistically technically demanding spiral tunnels) and on disparate areas of Canton Graubünden was an the other as a surface electric railway crossing important objective that could be promoted with a high altitude mountain pass in the open – the the construction of the railway. The Albula line, Albula/Bernina line is simultaneously unique although designed as a narrow-gauge line due to and typical, an outstanding example of a railway the topography, was nevertheless conceived and in the mountains. Its major role in the history operated like a standard-gauge mainline rail- of railway construction and the quality of the way. The objective was to provide easy access to achievement established the basis for the world- the Engadin, both in summer and winter. So the wide recognition it has enjoyed ever since it was railway contributed to the development of a new first brought into service. It is essentially different branch of the economy: winter sports tourism. from the mountain railways already figuring on the Tourism as such would become the key industry World Heritage List: the Albula line, as a master- in the region. The railway line was subtly embed- piece, constructed with lavish planning and excel- ded in the varied cultural landscape, and contin- lent craftsmanship, represents the archetype of the ues to enrich it even today. The construction of mountain railway from the golden age of rail. With 3. Justification for Inscription > 3.b Proposed Statement 3�3 Candidature UNESCO World Heritage | Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Cultural Landscape | www.rhb-unesco.ch its many stone viaducts of varying heights and alpine glaciers of the Bernina to the characteris- lengths, the complex, sometimes overlaid struc- tically southern air of the Poschiavo and Veltlin, tures of the helical tunnels and the long crest tun- from the worldly tourist location of St. Moritz nel, the meticulous and architecturally valuable to the primal, alpine agrarian landscape of design of the elevated structures, and finally the Bergün/Bravuogn, past a dense concentration actual operation itself, it displays all the charac- of characteristic sacred and secular buildings: teristics of a mainline railway, even though it was thanks to modern technology the traveller can constructed with a narrow gauge. The Bernina experience the wonderful diversity of the alpine line, on the other hand, an electric surface rail- region almost in ‘fast forward mode’. The “Rha- way at a great altitude and with the extreme gra- etian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Cultural dient of 70 ‰, opened up new technical territory. Landscape” displays emblematically this syn- The Albula/Bernina section represents a special thesis of nature, culture and technology which type of “high-altitude mountain railway”: over has exerted a powerful influence on how the a distance of some 130 km and with a maximum Alps have been perceived over the years: a vi- difference in altitude (1,550 to 1,700 m) it crosses gnette of cultural history. a mountain range, from one side to the other. As At the same time – and closely linked with the a transnational line, it is a binding element in a aspect of landscape experience – the Heritage separative topography: along its brief route, it Site is an outstanding example for the devel- crosses diverse landscape forms and several cli- opment of a tourism-oriented Alpine cultur- matic zones, as well as three cultural regions, al landscape. The extensive utilisation of the each with its own language and traditions. landscape for tourism,