Urban Gwerder

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Urban Gwerder.

Urban Gwerder (born September 5, 1944 in Basel ; † July 4, 2017 ) was a Swiss writer , artist and editor .

Live and act

In the European alternative movement , Gwerder had become a subcultural notoriety from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s through the publication of the magazine Hotcha! , his extensive Frank Zappa archive, his numerous publications and appearances. Between 1966 and 1976 he was “court archivist” and at times tour guide for Frank Zappa ( Hot Raz Times, Alla Zappa, Zark – Expo ), mainly active from Zurich. With the artist HR Giger he organized the Poetenz – Show in 1967 , a poetry performance with which he was on tour in Switzerland and Germany with rock music, poems, films and conversations with the audience. 1969 Gwerder from the "critical underground school Switzerland" (KISS) an honorary doctorate Dr. appointed hc KISS . The author Walter Hollstein expressed himself critically about the Swiss counterculture of that era with the words: "Instead of earlier culture, the supporters of the Swiss underground are now consuming counterculture Hotcha, Pop-Kellern and KUSS"

During this time Gwerder was also active as a publicist , editor , performer and poet. He made the experimental film Chicoree with Fredi M. Murer in 1966 and gave readings at the Arts Lab London, Paradiso Amsterdam and the Volksuniversität Zürich. According to his own statement, between 1978 and 1992 he lived as a veterinarian, alpine shepherd and mountain farmer in Graubünden , and since 1993 again in Zurich.

The underground magazine Hotcha! Published by Gwerder , a “clan magazine” of the counterculture , subtitled Fun Embryo Information , appeared from 1968 to 1971 with 62 issues in German and English. A magazine "from Switzerland with a direct line to California". With the publication in 1968, the European alternative press became known to a larger audience, Gwerder did "pioneering work". Hotcha! was the first European magazine to join the US Underground Press Syndicate (UPS). UPS was a media organization of international underground and alternative magazines, founded in 1966 by John Wilcock and Walter Bowart. The affiliated publications could take over and publish articles in a free exchange. Hotcha! published international first publications and exclusive contributions by Julian Beck , Robert Crumb , Henryk M. Broder , Nicolas Devil, Sergius Golowin , James Koller, Tuli Kupferberg , Gilbert Shelton , Ed Sanders , Olaf Stoop, Frank Zappa, Gary Snyder, among others .

A music magazine with the title Hot Raz Times appeared in a one-time edition (1973) from the Gwerder archive about Frank Zappa, subtitled anarch – individual zap'paphysischer Almanach , in eleven limited deliveries with various supplements. Gwerder also edited Alla Zappa and published the Zark-Expo .

In March 1973 he published the "perpetual calendar" with the title Zalender , which represented its own calendar with "own festive days". The calendar began on April 1, 1973. An almanac based in part on the works of F. Zappa, dedicated to "cosmic laughter" and information about some of Gwerder's publications and rare documents from his Zappa archive . The calendar was not intended to be the successor to Hotcha! Gwerder emphasized.

From January 13th to 15th, 2006, an international symposium took place in Basel on the 100th birthday of the discoverer of LSD , Albert Hofmann . Speakers included Günter Amendt , Werner Pieper , Albert Hofmann, Bernd Brummbär , Simon Vinkenoog , Sergius Golowin and Urban Gwerder.

His father was the poet Alexander Xaver Gwerder .

Works (selection)

  • Oasis of bitterness . Poems. Arche Verlag , Zurich 1962.
  • La Loi du Comte Merdreff. Pataphysical poetic leaflet . Hürlimann, Zurich 1965.
  • Anarchy you manifestos. Aristocratic gigantic security . Hürlimann, Zurich 1966.
  • Tilt . Poems, songs and collages. Walter Zürcher , Bern 1967.
  • Frank Zappa et les Mothers of Invention (with Alain Dister ). Albin Michel, Paris 1975, ISBN 2-226-00196-4 .
  • Alla Zappa. Festschrift . Painting Box Press, Zurich 1976.
  • Under the sign of the magical monkey . WOA, Zurich 1998, ISBN 3-9512180-2-9 .
  • Various Artists: Creative Outlaws. US Underground 1962–1970 (with Tom Klatt). CD with booklet. Trikont , Munich 2006.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Roman Bucheli: Death of the poet Urban Gwerder. Insatiable hunger for life. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung of July 24, 2017.
  2. ^ Quote from W. Hollstein, Untergrund und Opposition in Amerika . In: Diethart Kerbs (ed.), The hedonistic left. Contributions to the subculture debate . Luchterhand Verlag, Neuwied, Berlin 1979.
  3. ↑ See: Elisabeth Joris : Der heisse Sommer 1968 , St. Galler Tagblatt , June 24, 2008.
  4. ↑ See also: Hadayatullah Hübsch , Ulcus Molle Info , page 386.
  5. ↑ See also: Ulcus Molle Info (Reprint), page 314.
  6. ↑ Extensive bibliography: Urban Gwerder ( Memento of May 24, 2010 in the Internet Archive ).
  7. ↑ International Symposium . LSD, wonder drug and problem child . Retrieved October 30, 2009.
personal data
SURNAME Gwerder, Urban
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss writer, artist and publisher
DATE OF BIRTH September 5, 1944
PLACE OF BIRTH Basel
DATE OF DEATH 4th July 2017