#stadtzürcher heimatschutzbund

[germanpostwarmodern]

Since 1973 the Stadtzürcher Heimatschutzbund takes a stand for the conservation and maintenance of historically valuable buildings, gardens and urban plannings in Zurich, Switzerland. As an independent association under private it takes a stand against the excesses of capital-driven, short-sighted interventions in the grown urban fabric and thanks to Swiss legislation is also allowed to file complaints: in consultation with the Zürcher Heimatschutz, the local authority for the protection of monuments, the organization is allowed to have a say in Zurich’s building projects. And in this capacity the Heimatschutzbund seeks to shape a sustainable, vivid and livable city.

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary the association takes a look back at its achievements but also on the manifold losses the urban fabric of Zurich had to sustain: „Baukultur erhalten. Urbane Qualität schaffen - Stadtzürcher Heimatschutz 1973–2023“, published recently by Triest Verlag, is a compendium of history and present. After a brief retrospective the book focuses on exemplary, successful projects that illustrate the broad approach of the association: one such example is the Kongresshaus, a design by Haefeli Moser Steiger completed in 1939, that the city of Zurich slated for demolition and which should have been replaced by a new building by Rafael Moneo. The Stadtzürcher Heimatzschutz already in 2005 held its annual meeting inside the Kongresshaus, organized tours around the building and most importantly showed Jakob Tuggener’s documentary of the old Zurich Trocadéro’s demolition and the consecutively erected new building. The result was a shift of opinion, also supported by journalists, that resulted in the preservation of the building.

This episode is representative of a number of successful campaigns launched by the Heimatschutz and included in the book: the association very efficiently organizes its protest against unnecessary new constructions and for the preservation of grown structures with the effect that historic layers at least in part remain visible. Accordingly the present anniversary publication by looking back also formulates ideas pointing to the future of urban planning.