Refuge and longing

Writers from abroad in Zurich

Zurich is more than just home to great authors such as Gottfried Keller and Max Frisch: it has frequently been a destination, stopping-off point, refuge or adopted home for writers from abroad who came to the city seeking inspiration or protection, stayed for varying lengths of time, and even died here. In the 18th century Klopstock, Wieland and Goethe found novel ideas amidst the city’s cultural heyday; in the 19th, liberal Zurich offered asylum to revolution-minded Germans such as Büchner and Herwegh; while in the 20th a whole series of literary figures sought shelter from the ravages of war and Fascism. Yet few of them were made welcome: many were merely tolerated and banned from writing; others were forced to leave the country again by the police.

In this exhibition, visitors can explore an alternative literary history of Zurich. It shows works that were created here and, through the original letters of greats such as Hölderlin, Büchner, Joyce and others, sheds light on the relationships between these guests and their Swiss colleagues, friends and supporters. Views of Zurich from the various periods, portraits of the authors and their hosts, panoramas, city plans and posters add a visual complement to the presentation.

In a cooperation with the Media Arts programme at the Zurich University of the Arts headed by Prof. Nils Röller, four audiovisual spatial installations created by students add a striking artistic element to the exhibition.

Exhibition concept: Raffael Keller

Accompanying publication

Designed by students from the Zurich University of the Arts, the publication accompanying the exhibition combines 24 poems written by foreign writers in and about Zurich into an anthology of lyrical impressions of the picturesque lakeside city. The poems have been scanned from the original publications in a playful reflection on the transformations of typography and book design.

Zuflucht und Sehnsucht. Fremde Dichter in Zürich. Ed. Raffael Keller.
Zentralbibliothek Zürich, 2011. ISBN: 978-3-299-000-34-0.
Available from zb@zb.uzh.ch, in the exhibition or at bookstores, price CHF 15.