Memorial plaque for Jakob Christoph Heer (1859-1925)

The Winterthur author, whose works were much read at the turn of the century, was a frequent and popular guest in the Engadin, especially in Pontresina. In his book "Streifzüge durch das Engadin" (Travels through the Engadin), he expressed his love for the high Alpine valley. In "König der Bernina" (King of the Bernina), his most popular novel, he portrayed the real and imputed demonic life of the famous chamois hunter, Gian Marchet Colani, against the backdrop of the development of the simple mountain village of Pontresina into a resort. In 1952, Pontresina erected a memorial stone and bust made of Bernina granite near Montebello. The memorial square known as J.C. Heer-Platz is surrounded by Swiss stone pines and overlooked by the Piz Bernina, which the hero of the novel, Markus Paltram, tried in vain to climb.