The history of ASZ

The history of the ASZ is a history of movement: This page provides an overview of occupations, relocations and campaigns that shaped the school, but also describes its development into a project that has become an integral part of Zurich and was awarded the Paul Grüninger Foundation’s sponsorship prize in 2015.

You can find out more about the history of the ASZ in the news archive, on our old homepage and on the Papierlosen Zeitung page. Of course, a large number of reports in established media (SRF, NZZ, Tagi, WOZ etc.) have also come together in recent years.

2008

The Autonomous School Zurich is a child of the asylum movement. At the beginning of 2008, the new asylum law comes into force, according to which only emergency aid is paid to rejected asylum seekers. As a protest against their living conditions, Sans-Papiers and Solidarische as Bleiberecht-Kollektiv occupied the Predigerkirche in the center of Zurich on December 19. They stayed there for almost three weeks and demanded, among other things, collective regularization. The concrete result of the high-profile action: the hardship commission is reintroduced. The video collective a-films documented the occupation in a film well worth seeing.

2009

The Autonomous School Zurich begins in a squatted house on Manessestrasse. Activists from the right to stay movement want to improve their German because they hope it will improve their prospects for their hardship application. At the same time, a group forms in the squatter scene that wants to set up a project for the free exchange of knowledge and emancipatory education. The ASZ is born out of this connection.

The first few months are characterized by frequent changes of location until mid-August, when a school building is found in the squatted Allenmoos school pavilion. Initial media reports in the WOZ and Schweiz aktuell lead to a sharp increase in the number of German course participants. In order to be able to pay the ticket costs of the Sans-Papiers activists, the supporting association Bildung für Alle (Education for All) is founded in the summer.

2010

The new year begins with a shock: on January 7, 2010, the Zurich city police forcefully evict the Allenmoos school pavilion. The school is out on the street. The reason given was a power line that had been installed carelessly and without consultation with the city. The Autonomous School criticizes the eviction as disproportionate and experiences great solidarity from individuals and institutions. One week later, the 2010 school year can start as planned: The Theaterhaus Gessnerallee offers temporary asylum. This is followed by the period of the “traveling school”: within four months, the school moves four times with its 150 or so people! On two occasions, it was housed in squats, and another cultural institution, the Rote Fabrik, showed its solidarity. Finally, in April, a vacant barrack on the site of the former freight depot (Güterbahnhof) was successfully occupied. It became the ASZ school building for the next three years.

A more detailed documentation of these turbulent early days can be found in a history of the association written in 2010 and in the news archive of the first BfA homepage.

2011

The beginning of the year is marked by repeated police checks, which take place directly in front of the school and are obviously aimed directly at ASZ participants. The school protested against this repression with several demonstrations. After a discussion with the police leadership, peace returned for two years.

In order to cover the rising ticket costs, an increasing number of solidarity parties are held, turning the school into a popular alternative club.

2012

ASZ goes legal! In spring, the ASZ is not only able to avert the demolition of the barracks, but even legalize its stay on the site. Solinetz Zürich concludes a use loan agreement with the SBB on behalf of the ASZ. The rampant party activities are severely restricted. Migrant self-organization is strengthened with the introduction of a school office. In the summer of this year, the ASZ’s policy paper, which is still valid today, is also drawn up.

2013

The ASZ must definitely move away from the freight station site. It is a bitter irony that it is the construction of the new police and justice center of all things that is forcing them to do so. A broad-based campaign (including ZSC captain Mathias Seger) attracts attention. On 20 March, the ASZ briefly occupies the Stadthaus to demand space from the city and organizes German lessons in its atrium (Article | Video). Finally, the school is accommodated independently of the city in an interim use of the Vereins Zitrone (Zitrone association) on Badenerstrasse, where it has much more space available than at the freight depot. As a result, the project grew rapidly – to around 300 German course participants, facilitators and other people involved in the project. With the move, the current organizational structure, which is based on working groups, is also introduced.

2014

No year is complete without the “space issue” on the agenda: this also applies to 2014. At the last minute, the Zitrone association finds a follow-up solution for the interim use of Badenerstrasse, which is coming to an end. A few streetcar stops out of town, almost on the outskirts of the city, Bachmattstrasse becomes the temporary home of the ASZ.

2015

It’s the deciding year. This year’s search for space should finally bring the long-awaited long-term and central location. The hot fall begins with an impressive visit from philosopher Alain Badiou. A campaign on a knife’s edge follows, which will be remembered by all those involved for a long time to come. At the beginning of November, the ASZ is homeless and draws attention to its precarious situation with two public school lessons at Sechseläutenplatz and in the atrium of the University of Zurich. Talks with the city do not lead to a satisfactory outcome. On 10.11., the ASZ moves into premises of the municipal interim use at Sihlquai 125 in consultation with the users.The school seeks public support with an open letter and an online petition. At the beginning of the year, a solution was finally found with the city that ensured the school would remain at Sihlquai until at least summer 2020.

In November, the ASZ receives further good news: it receives a recognition award from the renowned Paul Grüninger Foundation.

2016

The ASZ uses the first year in its history without uncertainty about its continued existence to expand its non-school activities: the newly opened café becomes an important meeting place, the social heart of the ASZ. In the summer, the canton of Zurich tightens its policy towards rejected asylum seekers and imposes a series of restrictions: many are no longer allowed to leave the municipal area assigned to them. ASZ activists are also affected. As a result, ASZ members take part in mobile legal advice in the emergency shelters.

2017

In order to build up a powerful resistance against the bunker and confinement policy, the alliance  Wo unrecht zu Recht wird (Where wrong becomes right). With a conference at the ASZ, a petition, a demonstration and constant media work, it succeeds in becoming a clearly audible voice – even if concrete political successes are (still?) a long time coming. Meanwhile, the day-to-day life of the ASZ progresses – occasionally hampered by arrests of activists and deportations.

Vereinsgeschichte Bildung für Alle 2009-10 (pdf)