This story is not meant to be a late reckoning against any authority, because the officials simply did their job within the present laws.
Without the financial support of the city of Zurich, we would never have been able to realize our "free spaces" in expensive Zurich.
Wikipedia: "…The word "police" originates from the term "good policey". This term initially did not refer to an administrative unit or function, but to a goal: the orderly and regulated coexistence in a society. The increasingly comprehensive regulation of all possible aspects of a subject's life culminated in the absolutist police state of the 17th and 18th centuries. The "policey" was then responsible for enforcing and controlling these rules. Traces of this conceptual development can be found in the later, outdated terms "alien police," "health police," "building police," "morality police," or "fire police," etc.
The following list shows how the authorities have changed in "slow motion" over the last 60 years.
Präsidialabteilung der Stadt Zürich ➔
Präsidialdepartement der Stadt Zürich
Gesundheitspolizei ➔
Umwelt und Gesundheitsschutz Zürich (UGZ)
Wirtschaftspolizei (WiPo) ➔
Stadtpolizei, Departement Gastgewerbe
Sittenpolizei (SiPo) ➔
Stadtpolizei, Fachabteilung Milieu und Sexualdelikte
Hochbauamt der Stadt Zürich ➔
Amt für Hochbauten der Stadt Zürich
Fremdenpolizei (FrePo) ➔
Kanton Zürich, Migrationsamt
Baupolizei ➔
Stadt Zürich, Baukontrolle und Bauabnahme
Feuerpolizei ➔
Stadt Zürich, Sicherheitsdepartement, Schutz & Rettung, Feuerpolizei
These new office names have adapted to modern times, and come across more sweetly, although the laws on building requirements have remained the same. In 2004, the UGZ - "Environment and Health Protection" imposed a ventilation system on us in the last club (Bazillus ad hoc live club), which then cost a total of CHF 110'000 – for a restaurant for 100 people, because it was calculated on smokers. Shortly thereafter came the smoking ban in all restaurants and bars.
Jonas C. Haefeli: At the behest of the economic police, only club members or guests accompanied by a member were actually allowed into the club. We solved this problem at the time by introducing a pro forma 24-hour membership, which allowed us to "cheat the authorities". At the end of 1967, the house was sold to the city of Zurich. Despite assurances to the contrary, the city then unexpectedly gave us notice of termination. The city then had the house demolished and a parking lot built on the property.
See also Stories > Plate 27
Inspiration in Copenhagen:
At the time, the Danish authorities were much further ahead of Zurich in terms of youth culture…
I first played 1968 in the student club in Copenhagen. It came across as an alternative place even back then and didn't look like a managed space. The Danes were already a tolerant people back then. Except for the members of the royal family, you are on a first-name basis all over Denmark! On the street, in the stores, with the authorities, the police, the politicians, TV, etc. How would that feel in Zurich?
1970: Huset Copenhagen (formerly Huset i Magstræde) is Denmark's first and largest cultural center with 5 stages. For five decades, Huset has shaped Copenhagen's underground and hosted a wide range of prominent Danish and international artists. Offering space to both the creative emerging class and professional artists in music, film, performing arts and spoken word, the house has been a venue for unique and original experiences since 1970.
Freetown «Christiania»1971:
Young people then occupied a large, former military facility, in the middle of the city of Copenhagen in 1971 and founded the "Freetown Christiania" on it. At first, this was a real challenge for the authorities and the electorate. Christiana still exists today. Everything has calmed down and become more well-behaved, as it always is. Also, the youth center "Huset", opened in 1973, in the middle of the city, also still exists.
See also Stories > Jazz in Copenhagen
The first, internal layout (still designed in Copenhagen by Beat) for a Bazillus poster shows the atmosphere in Zurich. I was informed at that time through my colleague Bernasconi by Jonas C. Haefeli that «Platte 27» had been torn down.
By «Platte 27» at the latest, we were all sure that the Zurich building police were behind the demolition. The general anger of the youth was unleashed on the streets in 1968.
Beat Kennel back from Copenhagen.
When Marcel Bernasconi and I had printed the posters for our first individual concerts, we had to go to the above-mentioned office on Gartenstrasse with the entire print run in order to stamp each individual poster. 1 franc per piece. Too much for young people. They also checked whether anything offensive had been written or depicted. That was pure censorship on the part of the officials.
Translation:
Law concerning the market and peddling
from 1884 to 1975:
II. Peddling C)
"The production of exhibitions, commercial or artistic performances that do not have a higher scientific or artistic interest (menageries, panoramas, picture galleries, merry-go-rounds, actors, singers, musicians, horsemen, tight-rope walkers, tricksters, etc.).
The question arises internally as to which politicians, parties or authorities secretly put an end to this law.
Everyone knew that the then city president Dr. Sigmund Widmer had mentioned in an interview in the first half of the seventies that jazz and rock were not culture, although he had people on his staff (for example adjunct Bernhard Uhlmann) who knew the importance jazz already had at that time.
The canton, on the other hand, was more open about jazz in 1973. This can be seen here in a letter from the music expert of the cantonal cultural promotion commission, Dr. Staub, to our new comrade-in-arms George Gruntz.
The jazz series of Remo Rau and Irene Schweizer "Modern Jazz Zürich MJZ" in the saloon of the "hintere Sternen" also had to fight against a wall at the same time. At that time, they received practically no financial support from the city.
Dieter Schärer und ich gingen 1971 zu Bernhard Uhlmann, der zum Glück bereit war, unser Projekt «ein Bazillus für Zürich» zu unterstützen. Er und George Gruntz hielten an einer Presseorientierung einen Speech.
The foundation of the first Bazillus association "Verein zur Förderung des Bazillus-Kommunikationszentrums" (Association for the Promotion of the Bazillus Communication Center) with well-known names in the board of directors had the effect that Stapi Sigi Widmer had taken over the patronage for the Bazillus Workshop I before the opening.
1976: Bacillus Workshop I
A fortnight after the opening: During a concert, a young visitor found it too stuffy and opened one of the soundproof windows upstairs by the wooden floor. A sensitive neighbor then complained to the police. The officer was waiting upstairs by the entrance (after all). I went upstairs and took the letter from City President Widmer in a viewing folder, where it just said: "…under the patronage of the city president", and that he wished us much success for our new Bacillus Workshop I. The policeman just told us to close the windows. Until the closing in 1979, the policemen from the neighborhood never came by again, even though the concert operation had not been approved at all.
For the opening, the city gave CHF 5'000 for the first time for the reconstruction.
Before the opening of this workshop, on the other hand, as a young, inexperienced man, I had to experience first-hand what "construction constraints" mean!
I had sworn to myself that I would do everything possible to make sure that something would change.
When we then opened the first, large "Bazillus Musikrestaurant" at Stampfenbachstrasse 8 by Bazillus AG in 1980, it was again the same procedure. For an oversized ventilation the planned backstage room had to be reduced in size by 60%. There was only one table with 7 seats. For larger groups (e.g. Art Blakey and the Messengers Bigband) we had to feed the musicians on the balcony.
One week before the opening, an official did not want to release the club because he did not agree with the seating. City president Sigi Widmer then made a phone call to his boss. The club was able to open as planned.
Office diagonally opposite the Bazillus music restaurant of the time…
The music program was very international and required performance permits from the foreign police, who in turn had to send the material by mail (!) to Bern. The officer at the counter was a really nasty person and harassed everyone around her. The foreigners on the benches sat there intimidated and afraid of her. I told Bernhard Uhlmann that this could not go on with the permits. "Adjunct" Uhlmann organized a meeting with him, me and the chief of the alien police (same rank as Uhlmann). He was very understanding and also praised the favorable Bazillus kitchen across the street.
On my next visit, the woman at the counter was no longer there. The staff was all smiles and laughingly told me she had been transferred - bingo!
By the way, she looked somehow like this woman at the counter in the movie "Monsters"…
At Bazillus Hotel Hirschen, there were no problems from the authorities in terms of construction, because we had no reconstruction. Fortunately, the hotel was already pre-approved as a concert venue.
The rent of the Bazillus-Hotel Hirschen of CHF 1'000 per day (!) was taken over by the Presidential Department.
What then happened after the definitive closure was, in an emotional sense, more of a breakdown for us personally.
In the local council, almost all parties voted YES for the Bazillus Club in June 1986, but not in the expensive Hotel Hirschen.
The LVZ was given the task internally by the local council to look for a suitable location for the bacillus in its portfolio of buildings. I and the head of culture, Dr. Jean-Pierre Hoby, went to the LVZ headquarters at that time. Early in the morning, all clerks were ordered to the top floor. I believed that my wish at that time (1974) now came true, that the authorities now, for the first time seen in reverse, had to do something for us! Half of the officials looked grim, the others looked friendly. The former vice-director Jürg Keller told me many years later that I had always been a "red rag" for some of these gentlemen. The other half (mostly younger) had a positive attitude. Nevertheless, it had been of no use.
The Office for Structural Engineering was commissioned by the LVZ to draw plans of various restaurants. Unfortunately, it was only an alibi exercise. None of these projects was ever realized. In this context, I visited this office several times in 1987 to determine with the city architect the seating plan for proposed restaurant projects and where the stage should go. I told the architect, an extremely friendly man, that it was cool if you could just draw plans … close to tears, he informed me that the atmosphere here was unbearable! The previous boss Hugo Farner had to resign in 1986. Inside this office during those years, one felt like in a black and white horror movie. The lousy lighting, those gray ceiling arches reflected what had happened in these rooms.
When I visited the Project Manager Paul Ebnöter in the same office building in 2004 for the remodeling of the new Bazillus Club, everything had been beautifully renovated. All corridors and staircases were now brightly lit. Large skylights had been installed in the attic for a meeting place where meetings could be held with a Käfeli. There was a real good atmosphere. The Office of Structural Engineering now shone like a pearl.
Shortly after the closure of the Bazillus Hotel Hirschen, I opened the first B-Flat (illegal) in our former loft studio apartment. Here are more, funny robber stories with the various authorities.
We received CHF 25'000 from the city and CHF 50'000 from the Lottery Fund of the Canton of Zurich towards the renovation costs of the "Bazillus ad hoc live club" at Ausstellungsstrasse 21.
The Popkredit of the city of Zurich subsidized the BazillusKlub with CHF 12'000 annually.
In addition, the Presidential Department took over 50% of the rental costs.
Responsible for the conversion of the "Bazillus ad hoc live club" at Ausstellungsstrasse 21 was the Office of Structural Engineering, which had completed the space ready for occupancy on behalf of LVZ at a total cost of CHF 800,000.
Simply too expensive! We had to pay back this amortization through the rent = turnover stress. Unfortunately there was no rich uncle from America who would have taken over. If there had been, this club would still exist today!
Eye and Eargasm Space Party:
Screening of the film "Space is the Place" about the musician Sun Ra organized by «Discover Art» (Hubi Horst)
An officer of the Authority for sexual offenses, with apparently little knowledge of English, had possibly suspected forbidden a swingers party here… He introduced himself during the event to our bar manager Andreas Müller and asked at the bar if there would be another party after this event…
DU - the culture magazine
August 1991
Present without a trace - Loners in Zurich
Beat Kennel. Blue Notes from Zurich
by Peter Rüedi 1991
… Today, Kennel has organized well over 1200 concerts, and he continues to do so, albeit ever more decidedly, outside the city's alternative culture-promoting bureaucracy, which has bloated considerably in recent years. BK: "They should provide rooms and permits, keep the bureaucracy in check and otherwise not interfere much".
In plain language: promoting so-called alternative culture means less to fatten it materially (or to take it over or castrate it in one way or another); it would consist of an increased tolerance of communication, of unmanaged free spaces. A question of tolerance. This, however, is the yardstick for that urban quality that official Zurich has so much trouble recognizing as an opportunity." …
Letter of thanks from City President Corine Mauch
March 2013
