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 Walter Lesch (4 March 1898 – 27 May 1958) was a Swiss stage and movie producer-director. He was also a writer and, for nearly twenty years after 1933, artistic director of the anti-Nazi Cabaret Cornichon. Life Bernhard Walter Lesch was bo ...

Emil Hegetschweiler Emil Hegetschweiler (1887–1959) was a Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin ...

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, and ...

. 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 Switzerland, Swiss comedian, radio personality, and stage and film actress starring usually in Swiss German language cinema and television and stage product ...

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 Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton ...

, Zarli Carigiet, Karl Meier and

Alfred Rasser Alfred Rasser (29 May 1907 – 18 August 1977) was a Swiss comedian, radio personality, and stage and film actor who starred predominantly in Swiss German-language cinema and television and stage productions, but he was also known for the role of ' ...

. 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 Switzerland, Swiss actress, comedian, dancer and radio personality, starring usually in Swiss German language productions. Life and work Born and raised in Zürich, Canton of Zürich in Switzerland to ...

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 Swiss ...

), it also opposed

fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

and

Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...

. 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 The Frontist movement (German language, German: ''Frontenbewegung''), also known as Frontisms, Frontists or Fröntlers, was Switzerland's parallel movement to Nazism, National Socialism in the German Reich and to Italian fascism, fascism in Italy. ...

’, whose views mirrored those of the National Socialist Party in Germany. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the cabaret split up amid the political tensions of the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

. While some of its members sided with the political left, those in opposition founded the Cabaret Fédéral in 1949.

References

Bibliography

External links

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