The Cabaret Cornichon (English: ''Gherkin cabaret'') was a Swiss cabaret company. It existed from 1934 to 1951 and was founded by Otto Weissert, Walter Lesch, Emil Hegetschweiler and

Alois Carigiet Alois Carigiet (30 August 1902 – 1 August 1985) was a Swiss graphic designer, painter, and illustrator. He may be known best for six children's picture books set in the Alps, '' A Bell for Ursli'' and its sequels, written by Selina Chönz, ...

. They were later joined by, among others, Max Werner Lenz, Elsie Attenhofer, Voli Geiler,

Margrit Rainer Margrit Rainer born as Margrit Rosa Sandmeier (9 February 1914 – 10 February 1982) was a Swiss comedian, radio personality, and stage and film actress starring usually in Swiss German language cinema and television and stage productions. Early ...

Ruedi Walter Rudolf "Ruedi" Walter (born Hans Rudolf Häfeli, 10 December 1916 – 16 June 1990), was a Swiss comedian, actor and radio personality usually starring in Swiss German-language cinema and television and stage productions. Early life and educati ...

Heinrich Gretler Heinrich Gretler (1897–1977) was a Swiss film and television actor, who also starred on stage at the Bernhard-Theater in Zurich. Selected filmography * '' The Mysterious Mirror'' (1928) * '' Struggle for the Matterhorn'' (1928) * ''The Man ...

, Zarli Carigiet, Karl Meier and Alfred Rasser. The musical director was the pianist, Nico Kaufmann. From autumn 1950 to spring of 1951,

Margrit Läubli Margrit Läubli (born 3 April 1928) is a Swiss dancer, stage, television and film actress, comedian, cabarettist and radio personality, starring usually in Swiss German language productions. Life and work Born and raised in Zürich, Canton of ...

appeared in the last programs of Cabaret Cornichon. The Cabaret Cornichon was essentially an entertainment cabaret but, inspired by the ideals of what later became known as 'Geistige Landesverteidigung' ('national'

spiritual defence The Spiritual national defence (German: ''Geistige Landesverteidigung''; French: ''Défense ationalespirituelle'') was a political-cultural movement in Switzerland which was active from circa 1932 into the 1960s. It was supported by the Swis ...

), it also opposed

fascism Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...

and

Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) i ...

. The term "Geistige Landesverteidigung" refers to the strong and widespread political will of the Swiss to defend the country’s independence and democratic constitution against the Nazis. The cabaret was established in opposition to the right-wing organization known as the ‘Frontenbewegung’, whose views mirrored those of the National Socialist Party in Germany. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, the cabaret split up amid the political tensions of the Cold War. While some of its members sided with the political left, those in opposition founded the Cabaret Fédéral in 1949.

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* {{Authority control Cabaret in Europe Entertainment companies established in 1934 Entertainment companies disestablished in 1951 1934 establishments in Switzerland 1951 disestablishments in Switzerland