The Rhaeto-Romanic literature, which in view of the diversity of the written idioms knows no unity but only regional special developments, begins as the fruit of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. The biblical and psalm translations by J. Bifrun (Upper Engadine), D. Chiampel (Lower Engadine) and Luci Gabriel (* 1597, † 1663; Surselvian) as well as the religious writings and songs of the Counter-Reformation originating from Disentis (Surselvian) characterize the literature up to 19th century: religious orientation, many translations.
The Reformation in the 16th century led to the various written Rhaeto-Romanic languages and denominational literature. The hour of birth of profane and aesthetic literature did not strike until the late 19th century. The national movements with the formation of the nation states as well as the ideas of the French Revolution and German Romanticism allowed a Rhaeto-Romanic identity to grow in the canton of Graubünden. Romanic organizations and associations emerged: in 1863 the Societad Retorumantscha, in 1919 the Rhaeto-Romanic umbrella organization Lia Rumantscha with its subsidiary organizations. The organs of these societies – annals and calendars – occupied a central first position for the dissemination of Romansh literature alongside the feature sections of the newspapers. As another subsidiary of the Lia Rumantscha, the Rhaeto-Romanic Writers’ Association was founded in 1946, at a time when Rhaeto-Romanic literature was already reaching its first great zenith. At the time their fiction was written, many Grisons novels had to earn their living outside of their home country; Privileged students spent their time studying abroad. The emigrants, especially those from the Engadine, returned to their valley for the summer months, often in old age; they were therefore also called “Randulins” (swallows). For these reasons, emigration, foreigners and European consciousness are an integral part of the Romansh literature of the 19th century. The Engadin writers when the Romansh literature reached its first great zenith. At the time their fiction was written, many Grisons novels had to earn their living outside of their home country; Privileged students spent their time studying abroad. The emigrants, especially those from the Engadine, returned to their valley for the summer months, often in old age; they were therefore also called “Randulins” (swallows). For these reasons, emigration, foreigners and European consciousness are an integral part of the Romansh literature of the 19th century. The Engadin writers when the Romansh literature reached its first great zenith. At the time their fiction was written, many Grisons novels had to earn their living outside of their home country; Privileged students spent their time studying abroad. The emigrants, especially those from the Engadine, returned to their valley for the summer months, often in old age; they were therefore also called “Randulins” (swallows). For these reasons, emigration, foreigners and European consciousness are an integral part of the Romansh literature of the 19th century. The Engadin writers returned to their valley for the summer months, often definitely in old age; they were therefore also called “Randulins” (swallows). For these reasons, emigration, foreigners and European consciousness are an integral part of the Romansh literature of the 19th century. The Engadin writers returned to their valley for the summer months, often definitely in old age; they were therefore also called “Randulins” (swallows). For these reasons, emigration, foreigners and European consciousness are an integral part of the Romansh literature of the 19th century. The Engadin writers Simeon Caratsch (* 1826, † 1891), Giovannes Mathis (* 1824, † 1912), P. Lansel and Chasper Po (* 1856, † 1936) are some of the defining figures of the »Randulins« of this time. The literature of the Graubünden Vorderrhein Valley shaped, among other things. Gion Antoni Huonder (* 1824, † 1867), AE Tuor , GC Muoth ; for Mittelbünden the author Alexander Lozza (* 1880, † 1953), who received his humanistic education in Italy, should be named; all of them returned to Graubünden after studying at foreign universities.
In the 19th century, a local literature based on the preservation of traditional values (belief, peasantry, village life, customs) emerged under the influence of (German) Romanticism, which continued well into the 20th century: with their great narrator, the Engadin C. Biert and the Surselver T. Halter , with the Engadin playwright and satirist Jon Semadeni (* 1910, † 1981) and M. Rauch , with the poets A. Peer and L. Famos from the Engadin or H. Spescha from the Surselva.
The return of the novels to their own language area became increasingly less important in the course of the 20th century. Although the number of Rhaeto-Romans living in Switzerland increased, it remained constant in Graubünden – a sign of definitive emigration, in contrast to the previously limited absence. Hardly a quarter of the Romansh authors still live in the actual language area. Writing novels in a linguistic diaspora has always been an occasion for cultural-political and literary reflections. The most interesting texts of the contemporary Rhaeto-Romanic literary landscape come from the Surselver Leo Tuor (* 1959) and the Engadin Dumenic Andry (* 1960), two authors who live in Romanesque areas that are still intact. The change in Romansh in the last few decades, the unstoppable and one-sided influence of the neighboring German language, the animosities within the language movement due to the common written language Rumantsch Grischun are among the central themes of D. Andry’s satirical reflections, formulated in a brief and concise form. L. Tuor’s texts are characterized by a very original voice guidance. In a parodistic way they also reflect the linguistic situation of the Surselvic of different generations. As an homage to the richness of their language and their sinking world, the literature of the two Surselver Gion Deplazes (* 1918, † 2015) and Vic Hendry (* 1920, † 2014) can be read. In addition to their literary value, their texts also have an ethnological and linguistic meaning, as they often take up the history and tradition of the Surselva of the past century in artful language.
According to areacodesexplorer, the Engadin Oscar Peer (* 1928, † 2013) is an example of the narrators of contemporary Romansh literature, whose prose, in a calm and level-headed manner, addresses the big questions of people in search of understanding and being understood and who is one of the cornerstones of Romansh literature On the other hand, the Surselver Theo Candinas (* 1929), whose literature is able to occupy a socially critical and taboo-breaking position of satirist and moralist. The works of the Engadin author Rut Plouda (* 1948) and the Central Grisons Margarita Uffer (* 1921, † 2010) stand out in the poetry. in a unique way. Her prose is also characterized by a lyrical character and a simple, sparse language. Simplicity and slim, idiosyncratic images also characterize the poetic metamorphoses of experienced reality and the playful implementation of idioms and proverbial ideas of the Surselvian poet Tresa Rüthers-Seeli (* 1931). The way to a literature which, detached from location, language and time, just as a genre is to be read per se, the two sophisticated authors Lothar Deplazes (* 1939, † 2015) from the Surselva and Göri Klainguti (* 1948) from the Engadine. L. Deplazes in his poetry strikes the bow from romantic motifs of the classic to antiquity; G. Klainguti interweaves the most varied levels of narratology in his prose with playful literary meticulousness. The writing of novels in the linguistic diaspora is increasingly looking not only for an articulation in the mother tongue, but also in their main host language, German.
In 2009, the umbrella organization Lia Rumantscha, the Pro Helvetia cultural foundation and the canton of Graubünden launched the Rhaeto-Romanic literary publisher Chasa Editura Rumantscha. Depending on the manuscripts submitted, the Chasa Editura Rumantscha publishes publications in the regional script idioms and in Rumantsch Grischun.
