A residential community for always

A stepped wooden floor, well-ordered spice boxes, yellow Anti-nuclear power struts glue to Wood. The smell of thousands of lens dishes in the air. Anyone who enters this apartment, one enters a different world. One of yesterday.

At the corner bench made from dark wood, in the only community space in the apartment, sitting Ueli and France Wildberger, together with three of her five younger co-residents. Mood and budget and uncluttered. "Come in, it has just fresh coffee," says a young man at the table. He is one of 130 people who have lived with the wild Bergers already under this roof.

8 rooms, 1800 Swiss francs

Since 1980, France and Ueli life wild Berger, 74, and 75 years of age, on the top floor in the house on the corner of cypress/Agnes street in district 4. "It is a little dark, but otherwise very cozy," says France at the beginning.

You notice that in this round your well-being. "Living together is the correct Form for us", says Ueli. All nod. And a cheap: Just under 1800 francs, you will pay for the 8-room apartment in an old building without Lift and door opener. "It was always ideal for young people and students," says France.

In the fall of 2020 to wild game off the Bergers and their roommate.

Was? The time in this other world is about to end. In the fall of 2020 wild Bergers and your roommate need to move out of the apartment, the landlord notified the own claim. This world of yesterday, this is like a wheels-functioning household, this over the decades, organically grown indoor decoration jungle, he is threatened.

The Regret in the round is clearly noticeable. "We're looking for something for all of us", says Ueli. "Easy is not so far." The Outsiders, a different question arises: How could the survival of this community for so long? The round table has two answers.

The obvious: the friendly spirit that prevails here in this apartment. Three features characterize him. Firstly: you were not the patron or the Patron, say, Ueli and France. "All have equal say, parents' roles, we never had." Secondly, there Are differences of opinion, for example, the Hygiene or the order speaks to you the. As the Third Ueli speaks Wildberger of an "iron rule": Whoever uses the dishes, washing always.

In the spirit of '68

A deeper answer to the question, why is everything already for almost 40 years, approximately, has its origins in the ideology of the' 68. Ueli Wildberger was mid 20's and studied in Zurich and Berlin theology. From the spirit of the social criticism and the revolt dominated, he didn't want to be just a pastor, but linked his Faith with Protest. He joined the International fellowship of Reconciliation (Ifor), a peace movement and protested peacefully against weapons deliveries, global wars, or NUCLEAR power plant.

To flourished this time, the idea in Western Europe to live in residential communities. "We wanted to set a sign against citizens and loneliness," he says. This was the life of him and his wife, based on this WG. Comfort or privacy were of secondary importance.

simplicity as the Ideal: a view of the WG-room.

More: simplicity and community values that you have chosen. Even today, France and Ueli denounce wildberger, the "atomization", the separation in the society. Together, more than ever, a means to oppose it is to live for you today. The others present at the table are in agreement on this point.

those Who live with you, must bring a keen sense for social issues, to cultivate an ecological consciousness and willingness of the community, says France. "A Banker doesn't fit maybe as well", says Ueli. "But it would also be exciting," replied one at the table. Whether he would come to the demonstrations against the world economic forum WEF in Davos, the annual rent excursion, doubt all.

included All of the above criteria, you will find still plenty of people who log on to the listings. More than a hundred in the rule. So far, your selection has to work procedure, from the apartment you had to throw so far, still no one. Most of the 130 roommate remained for several years, also shows the success of your model. At the meetings, you all couple of years, the organized, were each of the 50 former residents.

purpose driven

changed the life of The community, the end of the 60s held in Zurich in the Form of residential communities and municipalities, who benefit from life in the city. Around one in ten of the Zurich still lives today, together with others under one roof. It is about 32'000 people without children, and slightly more than 18'000 with.

Also has changed in the last few years – and the sociologists agree that the purpose of the residential form of the WG. Yes, reversed. Civil criteria used to ideological, anti-essential, today more and more financial. A lot of, even professionals, can and do not want to afford the apartments in the inner cities alone. The former student station of the WG is to become a permanent model for professionals.

Established communities

to counter the trend, the Zurich-based cooperatives, such as in the lime width or on the Hunziker areal in Oerlikon. There, Large-WGs have been established with community kitchens, and open dining rooms.

The couple Wildberger observed the changes in the city with some scepticism, in particular in a circle 4. While not far from them ten years ago, still unceasingly the traffic rolled, there are today around the Bullinger place Tempo-20 zones. The Rent of the houses in the neighborhood have doubled in the last ten years.

This micro-cosmos is elsewhere in life.

In the apartment on Agnes street is feeling of this free market-dominated mind. On the contrary: This apartment, in the Material from 40 years ago, Live collects, looks like fallen out of time. Reminds you of a Zurich living in the cooperatives, otherwise, but slowly disappears.

With the Agnes street is in a year although the final. But this microcosm to life elsewhere. "The composition just right. I love the people here," says France. In a new home, you would prefer to live with the same flatmates.

A last question to the married couple wild Berger: Would it not be time to draw after so many years together in an apartment? "We are not ready for that yet," says France, "but soon."

(Tages-Anzeiger)

Created: 12.05.2019, 22:08 PM