Past news and events

Switzerland without an army? – Max Frisch and the historic GSoA referendum: Panel discussion with Andi Gross

24 November 2019, 11:00 a.m.

The new temporary exhibition will kick off with a panel discussion in cooperation with the Schauspielhaus Zurich. On the same stage where Max Frisch's last play "Jonas and his Veteran" premiered 30 years ago, Markus Notter and his guests will extend the debate into the present.

Adolf Muschg visits ETH Zurich

27 September 2019, 19:00, ETH Zurich

From 1970 to 1999 Adolf Muschg was Professor of German Language and Literature at ETH Zurich. During this time he shaped the university as a scientist, but also as a writer. He was instrumental in the founding of the Max Frisch Archive, and numerous authors took part in his legendary writing seminars. As the first director of the Collegium Helveticum, he was actively involved in the dialogue between sciences.
On the occasion of Adolf Muschg's 85th birthday this year, he will be a guest at his former place of work. In a public discussion with Andreas Kilcher, Professor of Literature and Cultural Studies, and Tobias Amslinger, Director of the Max Frisch Archive, he remembers his academic life between the disciplines.
The event will take place at the Audi Max of ETH Zurich and will be opened with a greeting by Rector Sarah M. Springman.

In cooperation with Literaturhaus Zürich

Book launch with Ruth Schweikert and Julia Weber

29 August 2019, 18:30, ETH Zurich

In spring 1966, a literary debate developed during the "Weltwoche", which was initiated by Max Frisch and provoked reactions from Peter Bichsel, Adolf Muschg and others. A new book documents the debate and extends its questions into the present.

Michael Mendl meets Frisch, Brecht and Luther

23 August 2019, 19:30, Zeitz

Max Frisch and Bertolt Brecht knew each other personally. But what if the two of them had met with the reformer Martin Luther? The German actor Michael Mendl imagines the encounter on a musical-literary evening in Zeitz (Saxony-Anhalt).

external page Trailer of the event

external page Mendl Festival Zeitz

Max Frisch und die Macht

16 May 2019, 17.30

A Symposium on the Role of Intellectuals and Artists in the Political Public Sphere

Like hardly any other figure in recent Swiss history, Max Frisch embodies the "Public Intellectual". In the field of tension between artistic autonomy and political commitment, his work reveals the manifold power relations that permeate society and politics. Since the question of artistic autonomy is just as urgent today as the question of the relationship between "demos" (people of the state) and "kratos" (power), a new confrontation with theories and manifestations of power is called for. Based on the work of Max Frisch, the symposium will present influential power theorists and case studies on the relationship between art and power in trenchant contributions.

Organized by Werner Oeder and Jörg Scheller (Bachelor Art & Media, ZHdK) in collaboration with the Max Frisch Archive at the ETH Library, Zurich

Date: Thursday, 16 May 2019

Start: 18.30

Venue: external page Toni-Areal, Hörsaal 5.T07, Ebene 5, Pfingstweidstrasse 96, Zürich  

external page More information

Blaubart – Film screening and discussion with Krzysztof Zanussi

3 April 2019

In 1980 the people of Zurich were gripped by a murder trial. A goldsmith from Winterthur was accused of strangling his wife. Although some of the evidence pointed to a relationship offense, the defendant was acquitted. Max Frisch followed the trial from the public gallery. For mor than 60 hours he listened, observed and made notes. It wasn’t the trial itself that had grabbed his attention, but the “problem of finding the truth”.

His notes gave rise to the story "Blaubart", which was published in 1982 and adapted into a film by Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi in 1984. Filmpodium is showing the SRF and WDR television production on the big screen. The director will be present to talk about the background to the film and his collaboration with Max Frisch.

An event in cooperation with the external page City of Zurich’s Filmpodium.

Exhibition: "von Berzona nach Island"

29 Oktober 2018

From 27 May to 28 October 2018, the external page Museo Onsernonese in Loco (Ticino) will be showing an exhibition on Max Frisch and the novel "Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän". The focus is on photographs by Katja Snozzi.

Max Frisch Prize 2018

16 September 2018

The City of Zurich awards the Max Frisch Prize 2018, endowed with CHF 40,000, to the Austrian-Slovenian author Maja Haderlap. Dorothee Elmiger receives the advancement award of CHF 10,000, which is awarded for the first time.

The prizes have been handed over on 16 September 2018 in a public ceremony at Schauspielhaus Zurich. Read the report in external page Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

Max Frisch Prize of the City of Zurich

Look, experience, participate – Cultural Heritage at ETH Zurich

03 June 2018

It's the European Cultural Heritage year 2018!

The Max Frisch Archive and other institutes participate. On 3 June, experience a varied programme in ETH Zurich's main building.  

Programme and further information on the event

Ärger im Paradies

6 April 2018

A new production by Schauspielhaus Zürich is set to premier on 6 April: "Ärger im Paradies – Ein Max Frisch Trip durch Zürich, Zeit und Zorn".

Rather than one particular Frisch play, the performance will stage a selection of works by the author. The director used the Max Frisch Archive for his research. The evening begins in the external page main building ETH Zurich, makes various stops in the City of Zurich and ends in the external page Schauspielhaus.

external page Additional dates and information

Tour: Gottfried Honegger and ETH Zurich: Volume 18, Computer Art and Max Frisch

28 June 2017

Meeting point: ETH Zurich, Main Building, outside the north façade (Tannenstrasse)

Exhibition opening: Frischs Fiche und andere Geschichten aus dem Kalten Krieg (Frisch's Secret Files and Other Stories from the Cold War)

9 June 2017

The exhibition in the museum Strauhof aims to trace the relationship between literature and the political situation in Switzerland during the 1980s based on a series of selected texts. It especially tracks the interplay between reality and imagination, observers and the observed, accusation and indignation. Starting with Frisch’s secret files, which the author began commenting on and adding to as soon as he received them, the exhibition tells nine other stories that examine this zeitgeist.

Venue: external page Strauhof

Tages-Anzeiger: external page Wie Max Frisch von der Schweizer Armee demontiert werden sollte
Neue Zürcher Zeitung: external page Protokolle aus dem Kalten Krieg
SRF: external page Frischs Fiche und andere Geschichten, die Gänsehaut erzeugen
Tagblatt der Stadt Zürich: external page Heisse Worte, Kalter Krieg        

Panel discussion and writing workshop

9/10 June 2017

From 17.00 to 18.30 on International Archives Day (9 June 2017), a panel featuring representatives from research, Wikimedia/Wikipedia and archives will discuss the contributions that archives can make in this field.

Afterwards, there will be an evening external page Wikipedia writing workshop, which will continue on 10 June. It offers an ideal opportunity to write or enhance articles with the help of experienced Wikipedians and thus contribute one’s own specialist knowledge to Wikipedia.

The Max Frisch Archive will provide topic suggestions and material for the writing workshop. Further information available on ETH Zurich's Swiss Archives Day 2017 homepage.

Exhibition opening: Max Frisch im Spiegel der Karikatur
(Max Frisch as Portrayed in Cartoons)

1 June 2017

Introduction: Tobias Amslinger (Head of the Max Frisch Archive)

Venue: Kunstfreiraum Papierfabrik, Graz

Max Frisch: Man in the Holocene – theatrical reading in Honegger's former studio

28 May 2017

With: Gian Rupf (voice) and Roman Nowka (sounds)

Venue: studio houses on the outskirts of the woods, Ewa and Stefan Rotzler, Meisenrain 75-79, Gockhausen

Exhibition opening: "Chance Has Been Generous" – Max Frisch and Gottfried Honegger

10 May 2017

Max Frisch enjoyed a very close relationship that lasted decades with Zurich artist Gottfried Honegger (1917–2016), who would have celebrated his 100^th birthday this year. They shared flats and the studio in Gockhausen, joy and sorrow. Honegger drew a series of portraits of the author. Frisch paid a literary tribute to the artist as Kabusch in "Tagebuch 1966–1971".

The exhibition at the Max Frisch Archive traces the highs and lows of this impressive friendship between two artists. It focuses on the question of chance: in life and in art. Letters and photographs from their personal papers, as well as graphic works and sculptures are on display. A separate section of the exhibition is dedicated to the computer drawings that Gottfried Honegger randomly generated in collaboration with mathematicians from ETH Zurich in 1970.

With: Prof. Dr Thomas Strässle and PD Dr Michael Gnehm

Venue: Max Frisch Archive, ETH Library

Writing Routines: Max Frisch

20 April 2017

Tobias Amslinger, Head of the Max Frisch Archive, presents the author's daily routine, work structure and writing neuroses in the museum external page Strauhof.

An event organised against the backdrop of the exhibition Schreibrausch – Faszination Inspiration (The Writing Bug – Fascination Inspiration)

Book launch: "Max Frisch – Interviews und Gespräche", with Roger Schawinski and Thomas Strässle

11 April 2017

The editor, Prof. Dr Thomas Strässle, talks to the "nation’s interviewer", Roger Schawinski. Moderation: Gesa Schneider.

Venue: external page Literaturhaus Zürich

Tages-Anzeiger: external page Frisch und ich

attention: our city – Max Frisch and the urban design of tomorrow

15 March 2017

On 15 March 2017 experts and decision-makers from the fields of architecture and urban development at ETH Zurich discuss Max Frisch as an ideas man and the future of urban design. Moreover, a external page new edition of the influential works "wir selber bauen unsre Stadt" (1953), "achtung: die Schweiz" (1955) and "die neue Stadt" (1956) will be presented.

Greeting: Dr Rafael Ball (ETH Library, Director)

Introduction: Dr Angelus Eisinger (Director of Regional Planning Zurich and Environs)

Discussion: Anna Schindler (Director of Urban Development Zurich), Charlotte von Moos (Sauter von Moos, architect), Dr Angelus Eisinger, Prof. Dr Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani (ETH Zurich, Chair for the History of Urban Design) and Palle Petersen (moderation)