Dramatischer Verein Zürich

The Dramatischer Verein Zürich (Engl. Dramatic Association Zurich) was an amateur theatre society active in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. It was founded in 1866 and dissolved 1984.

History

Formers members of the Didaskalia society (an association of former grammar school pupils) founded in 1866 the Musikalisch-dramatischer Verein Zürich. The association was divided into a musical and a theatrical department and started their performing tradition with musical-dramatic soirees. The first public theatre performance was Rudolph Kneisel's and Ferdinand Gumpert's "Die Lieder des Musikanten" (Engl. "The musicians's songs") on 21 March 1867. In the 1870s, the association renamed itself to Dramatischer Verein Zürich, due to differences between the two departments and withdrawals of members. The association dedicated itself to the staging of vernacular plays in Zurich German dialect, and accordingly performed many plays of local playwrights, often as first performances ever. In addition, the Dramatischer Verein Zürich also staged plays in High German from authors like Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer or Friedrich Schiller. Until the 1930s, the association often performed two or more plays a year, whereas public performances decreased in the 1940s. In 1984, the association resolved their disbanding.

Venues

In the first years, the association used the Old Casino in Zurich or the lobby of the Aktientheater Zürich, as well as the "Weisses Kreuz" in Unterstrass as locations for their performances. Later venues were the Stadttheater Zürich and the Pfauentheater Zürich. The Dramatischer Verein Zürich did also guest performances in various towns in Switzerland.

Repertoire

Find a selection of the plays performed by the Dramatischer Verein Zürich (approximate English translations of titles):

• August Corrodi: "De Herr Dokter" (Engl. "The Doctor") 1871, "Wie d’Warret würkt" (Engl. "How Warret Works") 1882,  "Di Alten-n-und di Junge" (Engl. "The Old and the Young) 1883
• Wilhelm Fürchtegott Niedermann: "Züridütsch" (Engl. "Zurich German") 1881
• Leonhard Steiner: "Läbedi Bilder" (Engl. "Living Images") 1884, "Edelwyss" (Engl. "Edelweiss") 1886 (anniversary performance)
• Emilie Locher-Werling: "Wie’s ä cha gah" (Engl. "How Things Happen") 1904
• Ulrich Farner: "E moderni Familie" (Engl. "A Modern Family") 1905
• Alfred Huggenberger: "Dem Pfläger Bollme si bös Wuche" (Engl. "A Bad Week for Curator Bollme") 1914
• Ernst Eschmann: "Wer chunt as Rueder?" (Engl. "Who is about to Steer?") 1916
• Emil Sautter: "D’ Familie Schlumpf" (Engl. "Family Smurf") 1922, "’S Mündel" (Engl. "The Ward") 1925
• Jakob Stebler: "En dunkle Punkt" (Engl. "A Dark Spot") 1930, "En asteckendi Gsundheit" (Engl. "An Infectious Healthiness") 1935

An idea of the repertoire of the association can also be gained by looking at the catalogue of its extensive library, listing many plays and scripts, mostly with vernacular titles.