HIF can look back on a long history: It was founded as Institute à Porta on 1st October 1793 by teacher Andrea Rosius à Porta with a total of 18 students. Eight students came from Zuoz, three from Lavin, one from Scuol and six from Ftan, all children from wealthy Engadin families who, until then, were lacking proper educational possibilities. Andrea Rosius à Porta headed his Institute until 1829, when he handed it over to his two sons. He died in 1838. By 1829, the co-educational Institute counted 556 students.
Influenced by Heinrich Pestalozzi’s approach to education, à Porta promoted imparting knowledge on a basis built on patience, gentleness and leading by example. His aim was to educate self-responsible, open-minded, kind and happy young people. Also, à Porta never tired to call upon parents and teachers to challenge the intellect of their children and students to instil in them a love of learning.
With the establishment of the first private school in the Engadine, Andrea Rosius à Porta laid an important educational foundation in this region. When the Lower Engadine was opened up by the Rhaetian Railway, the “Hochalpines Töchterinstitut Fetan”, a girls-only school, was founded in 1913 at the current location. The school opened its doors to boys as day students from 1976. In 1993 the school was renamed Hochalpines Institut Ftan and since then has been fully co-educational, both for day students and boarders.
