In the centre of Zurich, in the building at number 42 on Hirschengraben, there is a peculiar chamber stage - the Theater Stok, now operating under the name of the Zbigniew Stok Theatre. Founded by the renowned Polish actor and director Zbigniew Stok-Stokowiec (1924-1990), the theatre has been in continuous operation since 1970, but its continued existence is now in jeopardy. Learn about the fate of this unique institution on the cultural map of Switzerland's largest city.

History of the seat

Situated between the Kunsthaus and the University of Zurich, the headquarters of the Theater Stok, the 'Haus zum Krönli', lies adjacent to the expansive Baroque park of the Rechberggarten. The two-storey square building was built as a residential house for Hans Conrad Escher-Pestalozzi in 1739. It served various functions until the 1970s - it housed a kindergarten, a district school, a wine cellar and a police warehouse - and gradually deteriorated.

In 1971 Zbigniew Stok-Stokowiec decided to open a theatre on the site. With his own and municipal funds, he gradually restored the deteriorating property. Today, the entrance to the renovated baroque building is decorated with unique wrought-iron signs in the shape of masks facing each other in profile. The stage is located in the basement and occupies a relatively small area - in addition to the actors, it can accommodate around 60 spectators.

Legendary figure of the founder

Zbigniew Stok-Stokowiec was a true personality: film and theatre actor, director, Warsaw insurgent, Home Army soldier, and director of many cultural institutions in post-war Poland, including the Estrada in Zielona Góra. In the 1960s he emigrated to West Germany, where he staged plays by Polish authors on the stages of Cologne, Munich and Hamburg. From 1970 until the end of his days, he ran the Theater Stok in Zurich, attracting crowds of spectators.

The total work of the Polish director

The activities of the Theater Stok, as conceived by its founder and first director Zbigniew Stok-Stokowiec, resemble Wagner's 'Gesamtkunstwerk' (total work). The performances staged on this stage use a variety of means of expression: masks, props, the body, recitation of texts, improvisation by actors, live music and singing. Many artists collaborate with the theatre to create sets and set pieces. Polish accents regularly appear in the repertoire. Since its inception, the theatre has been an important meeting place for the local Polish community.

In addition to the plays organised by Theater Stok, independent artists can also perform on stage. This concept, originally intended to ensure a diversity of repertoire, today provides the theatre with partial funding. The premises are rented out for concerts and literary meetings. However, the theatre is currently struggling to survive following the announcement that its funding will be cut off by the city authorities.

Theatre museum

In addition, at number 252 on Sihlquai Street, in a building called "das Haus der Feen und Faunen" (House of Fairies and Fauns) by the locals, the theatre has operated a museum since the 1990s, where not only masks, costumes, props, theatre programmes and posters can be seen, but also memorabilia of its founder.