Cabaret Voltaire

The Cabaret Voltaire, in Zurich

The Cabaret Voltaire is the birthplace of Dadaism, a major artistic and intellectual movement of the twentieth century, founded in Zurich in 1916. The Zurich audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this cabaret opened by the writer Hugo Ball and the dancer Emmy Hennings, a refuge of artists during the First World War, cradle of an avant-garde artistic revolution.

The cradle of Dadaism

Do you know Dadaism? Enthusiasts will be delighted to learn that it is here, at the Cabaret Voltaire, that this intellectual and artistic movement came into being. For the others, let me tell you in broad outline what happened here, the evening of the 8th of February 1916. The First World War had transformed Zurich into a refuge for artists from all over the world, because Switzerland, neutral, welcomed those who fled the conflict. At the beginning of 1916, Hugo Ball, German writer and poet, and his companion Emmy Hennings, dancer and poetess, opened the Cabaret Voltaire. They invited, through the press, all the young artists and writers to join them to create a place of artistic entertainment, mingling the atmosphere of the Parisian cabarets with that of the pre-war Berlin cabarets. They chose the name of the French philosopher Voltaire, whose critical spirit and opposition to dogmas they admired. The inauguration was a success, sold out: the Romanian painter Marcel Janco exhibited his works on the walls, Hugo Ball declaimed his sound poems, and was born dada, art of provocation, of the absurd and of the clean slate, in reaction to the chaos of the war. Tristan Tzara, Hans Arp and many others took part in it. Today, the place perpetuates this heritage through exhibitions and performances. A cradle of dada and a place of avant-garde, the Cabaret Voltaire is a fine stop of the discovery of Zurich.

What to see

Here you discover the birthplace of Dadaism, founded on the 8th of February 1916 by Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings, in a neutral Zurich become a refuge of artists during the First World War; named after the philosopher Voltaire, this avant-garde cabaret saw the birth of dada, art of provocation and of the absurd, with Tzara, Arp and Janco, and perpetuates this heritage through exhibitions. The Cabaret Voltaire is a place of avant-garde of Zurich. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Cabaret Voltaire lies in the old town of Zurich, near the Neumarkt district, reachable on foot or by tram. It is a cultural place whose exhibitions, performances and café follow their own hours and conditions, which vary. It is best to enquire before coming. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

Why is the Cabaret Voltaire of Zurich famous?

Because it is here, on the 8th of February 1916, that Dadaism was born, an avant-garde artistic movement, founded by Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings in a neutral Zurich become a refuge of artists during the First World War; named after the philosopher Voltaire, this cabaret gathered Tzara, Arp and Janco around an art of provocation and of the absurd, in reaction to the chaos of the war.

Where is the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich?

In the old town of Zurich, near the Neumarkt district, in Switzerland.