I had known Dieter Schärer since I was a graphic designer in my fourth year of training (1967) at the advertising agency Interwerba AG (formerly Jean Wild AG). At that time, he was a newly qualified advertising consultant.
Here is the proof! A photo from a company trip…
That fall I went to Copenhagen for 16 months to work as a graphic designer and illustrator and to play with Danish musicians.
Back from Denmark, Anne Christiansen and I started working as independent illustrators in 1970. With our Danish friend Ole Thilo we also realized the first "Wiebelfetzer-Workshop" in 1971, and later the happening "Kreismusik" at the Volkshaus.
In the meantime Dieter had already founded his own company "Publi-Création AG" (sales promotion-PR) and he was one of our first clients. We supplied dozens of illustrations for his first audio-visual shows. Dieter back then already had the technical know-how! He also knew how to create a press release and how to organize a press conference.
I told him about my plans to open a jazz club in Zurich, and that the press had to be properly informed. Dieter agreed to come in and support us on a part-time basis, but with heart and soul. So this is where our long lasting cooperation came into being! With the active support of our two ladies Anne Christiansen and Jolanda Schärer.
Around this time Bernhard Uhlmann from the "Präsidialabteilung der Stadt Zürich" also joined us for the first time. This was great and very important for us, because it meant that someone working for the city who knew and liked jazz very much. He gave a short speech and George Gruntz, who also attended the press orientation talked about the situation of jazz clubs in Switzerland.
While the city government and its cultural council members were rather advanced, those of the rural district were significantly less so. The letter from Dr. Staub, Education Department of the Canton of Zurich, shows this very precisely. Before our press conference, she probably had never heard the name George Gruntz, who was a well-known personality in Switzerland. But during the second half of the seventies, not only society but also the authorities slowly changed for the better in regard to cultural issues. Modernjazz Zürich, Bazillus, the New International Jazz Festival ( 1987) and WIM opened doors for the creative people at the cultural department of the city.
Brewery director Martin Hürlimann had been a great supporter of Bazillus since the early seventies. Through him we were able to inspect one pub after another. Kennel and Schärer checked 34 different properties with pubs (with "Säli's") within about 3 years in vain. With the suitable object restaurant "Du Nord" at the main station they almost reached their goal. Unfortunately, the health police made decibel measurements at the time and buried the project.
See also Stories > Martin Hürlimann
But there were some other objects we thought of: Restaurant Du Nord, Restaurant Römerhof - 1st floor, Restaurant Helvetia ("Helfti"), Modellbau-Atelier der Stadt Zürich (near AJZ), Restaurant am Beatenplatz and Restaurant Hubertus.
Shortly before the occupation of the AJZ (Alternative Youth Center), there was the "Modellbau-Atelier der Stadt Zürich" at Sihlquai, which we had also checked out and considered. But soon after that it was demolished.
After our first press release, we got a lot of press, but it did not immediately lead to a Bazillus Music Center.
1975, only three years, later we at least opened a musician's workshop at Albisriederplatz, where I organized sessions and had groups perform as well.
See also Stories > Bazillus Workshop I
Around this time, Dieter and I started the first big patronage campaign to find companies or institutions that might support us financially or with building materials or club equipment. Our campaign paid off.
Here is an incomplete list of what I found in the documents:
Martin Hürlimann, director of the brewery Hürlimann Zürich
The philanthropist Hürlimann was an avowed supporter of Bazillus from the beginning.
He gave Beat Kennel Fr. 5'000.- to "get started". He also gave us several pickle tables and chairs.
See also Stories > Martin Hürlimann
Musik Hug AG, Erika Hug, Zürich
CEO Erika Hug had an old, noble grand piano of the Blüttner brand overhauled in her workshop and delivered it underground from an adjacent property on Albisriederplatz (today bank UBS). In 1987 she launched the biggest rescue operation for the Bazillus Hotel Hirschen.
Paiste AG, Nottwil
Through the connection of drummer Pierre Favre, the boss Robert Paiste,of PAISTE, the Swiss musical instrument manufacturing company, gave us a new 5-piece Hayman drum set and 6 cymbals.
Ernst Schweizer Metallbau AG, Hedingen
Metal emergency exit stairs plus assembly thereof.
Boller & Benz AG, Zürich
150 kg of special white paint for the whole club and staircase.
There was a gentleman with decision-making power in this company, who gave us the paints. It was Peter Burkhard, who happened to be a jazz guitar player. He and his colleague, the German vibraphonist and psychologist Gerhard Hauck, were the driving force for K.T. Geier, who then started his first workshop with them at Bazillus. (see also under Karl-Theodor Geier).
H.U. Bosshard, sanitary facilities, Zürich
Among the volunteer club construction team was bassist Hans Bosshard from the New Wave group Troppo. He had persuaded his father to donate us the whole set of ladies' and men's toilets according to health-police specifications and to also have them installed. At that time, the company Bosshard resided, where later the rock club Abart moved in.
Kistler-Zingg AG, Reichenburg
Donated and installed (lay and glue) about 170 square meters of resistant, fireproof (red) carpet.
E. Burkhalter AG
Donated 150m of cable tubes and other electrical material.
FEGA-Werk, Zürich
Donated a fire extinguisher.
BASF Schweiz
Donated a large package of professional tapes for live recordings.
Hoover-Apparate AG, Zug
Donated an industrial vacuum cleaner (wet carpet cleaning).
Mayor’s Department of the City of Zurich
From the City of Zurich we received about CHF 5'000.- (in 1975-76) towards the reconstruction.
Government Council of the Canton of Zurich
The canton donated CHF 4,000 for the renovation costs of the Bazillus Workshop in Zurich.
I created a 3D Bazillus figurine out of clay. Hansruedi Brandenberger was the store owner of "Sir Johns" Schifflände 26 (a poster and music store) in Zurich and he had the Bazillus 3D figurine made for us in a then new casting process. There were versions in silver and bronze. Patrons received them as a "thank you" and we started to sell them to Bazillus fans.
Dieter Schärer then initiated the first "Association for the Promotion of the Bazillus Communication Center in Zurich" in 1976. This again with important supporters like: Bernhard Uhlmann (president), George Gruntz (musician, vice-president), Peter Rüedi (journalist, board), Dieter Schärer (actuary) and others.
See also Stories > Bacillus Association I
