Peter Robert Berry I
(1828-1892)
The artist's father, Dr. med. Peter Robert Berry I, moved from Chur to the Engadine. His biography is closely interwoven with the history of tourism in St. Moritz, as he was one of the first spa doctors, was related by marriage to the hotel pioneer Johannes Badrutt and, not least, was involved in establishing the winter sports resort.
Regimental Surgeon
british Swiss legion
After studying medicine at the University of Bern (1850-1854), Berry first worked as an assistant doctor at the Inselspital before joining the British Swiss Legion as a regimental doctor in the service of the British Crown and being stationed in Smyrna during the Crimean War in 1855/56. Here he cared for the British wounded as a war surgeon - similar to the famous nurse Florence Nightingale.
The picture shows Colonel Peter Robert Berry, Surgeon 1st Regiment British-Swiss-Legion, original photograph London 1856.
Talented draughtsman
Peter Robert Berry I was also a thoroughly talented draughtsman. His sketchbook accompanied him during his missions, as here in Izmir (formerly Smyrna), Turkey.
Unlike his son, who followed his artistic inclinations, he remained a doctor throughout his life. In the 1850s and on the advice of his brother-in-law, the busy hotelier Johannes Badrutt, he tried to settle in St. Moritz. But before the new spa hotel was built, there was no room for a second physician. So Berry first practised as a district doctor in Splügen in 1859, and later also as a federal divisional doctor with the rank of major.
Spa doctor in St. Moritz
With the establishment of St. Moritz as a noble spa resort, i.e. the expansion of the Kurhaus in 1864 as well as many hotels, a second spa doctor alongside Dr. Brügger also found sufficient patients. Berry was recommended for the post not least because of his knowledge of English and his international experience.
Berry had already married Cecilia Stoppani from St. Moritz in 1858, and they had seven children, including the eldest son, Peter Rober Berry II, who later became a painter, in 1864. The picture shows Cecilia Berry-Stoppani with her daughters Anna, Sidonia and Ursula.
Finally, in 1870, Peter Robert Berry I bought a piece of land in St. Moritz at auction; the Swiss-style Villa Berry was built right next to the mansion of the von Flugi family.
Committed fellow citizen
Peter Robert Berry I may have been involved in establishing St. Moritz as a winter health resort: As early as 1865, he was able to convince guests who had arrived in summer to stay in winter as well and to take advantage of the excellent climate of the Engadine. Soon afterwards, his brother-in-law Johannes Badrutt heated the "Engadiner Kulm" hotel in winter as well. Electrification followed at the end of the 1870s, so that guests no longer sat in the dark.
Berry also continued to be involved in the "St. Moritz Curverein": in 1874, for example, the walking paths around the lake and to various vantage points were laid out according to the spa doctor's specifications. In addition, Berry was chief field physician in the Franco-German War of 1871 and responsible for the internment of the defeated French Armée de L'Est.
Der Regimentsarzt
("regimental surgeon")
The eventful life of Peter Robert Berry I is portrayed in the vivid and entertaining novel by James Schwarzenbach, "Der Regimentsarzt" (1965). It tells of how St. Moritz developed from a small village in the seclusion of the Engadine into a cosmopolitan spa and health resort.
Peter Robert Berry I died in 1892, leaving behind seven children, including the painter and doctor Peter Robert Berry II. He played a decisive role in the development of the region as a spa doctor and as a committed fellow citizen.
