Schiefer Turm und Kirchenruine, St. Moritz, Medieval tower in St. Moritz, Switzerland

The Schiefer Turm is the 33-metre bell tower of the former St. Mauritius Church in St. Moritz-Dorf, now leaning about 5.5 degrees. Its square stone shaft carries a clock face and an inscription dated 1570; the tower reached its present height in 1672. It stands beside the old churchyard, where 18th- and 19th-century gravestones remain.

First documented in 1139, the Church of St. Mauritius was rebuilt in Gothic style around 1500 when St. Moritz became a pilgrimage site; an inscription dates the new bell tower to 1570. It reached its present height of 33 metres in 1672. After an earthquake in 1797 the tower was reported to be shifting; the choir was demolished in 1856, the bells removed in 1890 and the nave in 1893. A 1897 vote forced by architect Nicolaus Hartmann saved the tower.

The tower is the last remnant of St. Mauritius Church, first documented in 1139 and dedicated to the town's patron saint. The churchyard beside it still holds 18th- and 19th-century gravestones. In 1897 architect Nicolaus Hartmann forced a vote in which the people of St. Moritz chose to keep the tower rather than demolish it.

The tower stands on the Brattas slope above St. Moritz-Dorf, next to the preserved churchyard with 18th- and 19th-century gravestones. Because the ground there is a designated hazard zone, building projects nearby require geotechnical review by ETH Zurich. The site can be viewed from the surrounding paths at any time of year.

Since 1976, researchers from ETH Zurich have regularly monitored the structure to ensure its stability. This ongoing scientific attention makes it a living example of how historical preservation and modern engineering work together.