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ZWZ, etwas für alle.
ZWZ bleibt! ❤️
Zürich is changing. Open spaces are disappearing, rents are rising, and non-commercial culture is being squeezed out. Places where people can organise, experiment and get involved are becoming increasingly rare. That is precisely why the Zentralwäscherei is needed.
ZWZ is no ordinary cultural venue. It is a platform for the city’s political and cultural actors. This is where projects are born, where initiatives network, where discussions take place, ideas are exchanged, and where the future – and above all the present – is shaped together. What happens here is finding less and less space elsewhere in Zurich.
The Josef-Areal demonstrates what is possible when space is not organised solely around profit. Studio spaces give artists a space to work. The Josi sports centre provides access to exercise and community. Groups such as the Climate Strike, the online magazine ‘das Lamm’, the Bitwäscherei, the Zentralwäscherei association, or the open repair workshop ReCreaZZZ bring social issues into the city and make them visible. In total, the ZWZ hosts over 40 organisations, associations, studio spaces and individuals, and creates a total of 400 cultural events per year.
ZWZ is a place where commitment takes concrete form: accessible, based on solidarity and open to anyone who wants to get involved. Yet it is precisely such places that are under pressure. Anything that is not immediately profitable is pushed aside. Anything that does not fit in must make way. As a result, the city loses not only spaces, but also diversity, participation and critical voices.
ZWZ is a crucial example of what Zurich urgently needs: self-organised spaces that are not driven by the pressure to consume, but by community and initiative. It offers an alternative to a city that is becoming increasingly homogenised, expensive and exclusive.
That is why it is clear: ZWZ must stay. For a vibrant city. For cultural diversity. For everyone.
Hier geht es zum Pressedossier!
Answer to the FDP Statement and NZZ Haltung on the votation
Since its opening, Zentralwäscherei (ZW) has grown into a vital cultural and social space in Zurich: a place where critical reflection, artistic experimentation, and marginalized perspectives can take root and flourish. Like many cultural institutions, ZW understands culture not as something detached from society, but as a living arena in which societal conflicts, injustices, and transformations are actively negotiated. We operate as a gastronomic space with affordable options and a venue for concerts, parties, theatre, and talks, but our community runs far deeper than any of those functions alone. Shaped by the dozens of people who work here and volunteers who give their time, and the many more who come to take part in what we do, ZW is inherently woven into the local and international realities that, directly or indirectly, touch the lives of everyone who makes this space what it is.
ZW has consistently worked against all forms of discrimination through a rigorous awareness concept and internal self-critical structures. Continuous reflection is a fundamental principle guiding our work, and accusations of discriminatory behaviour and problematic incidents have always been taken seriously with care and transparency. Nonetheless, certain political sectors have chosen to weaponize these critiques for their own gain, attempting to censor visions of society they do not share, revealing a startling lack of reflection on their side.
What we are witnessing is not an honest discussion about democratic values. It is part of a global shift in the political climate that has deeply affected how institutions provide and protect public services. This trend pushes for budget cuts and the encroachment of the very spaces that give life to our cities. Cultural venues are often the first to be targeted. Many of these spaces, which provide low-cost, non-profit, and non-consumption-oriented options, rely on public support to survive these adverse conditions. This shift is nested within a political trend where the right wing, from the margins of democratic institutions, feeds on manufactured moral panic to justify an ideologically motivated hostility toward a vibrant and welcoming cultural scene.
The solidarity shown with the Palestinian cause has become the perfect opportunity to intensify these attacks. The accusation that ZW promotes extremism because it hosted Francesca Albanese is particularly revealing. Albanese is not an extremist activist, but a UN Special Rapporteur appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Portraying the invitation of a UN representative as "proof" of extremism is intellectually dishonest. On the contrary, welcoming a renowned international voice on human rights is a privilege; it is an action that aligns perfectly with a space grounded in democratic values and mutual respect.
Equally absurd is the repeated attempt to portray ZW as antisemitic. We firmly maintain that criticism of Israeli state policies is not synonymous with antisemitism, and conflating the two systematically damages serious efforts to fight the very real threat of antisemitism. ZW is deeply committed to anti-racist and anti-discriminatory work, a commitment shared by the diverse communities, including many Jewish individuals, who actively shape our projects and events. Furthermore, these accusations do a profound disservice to them, unfairly impacting their lives and erasing the vital work they do.
The references to Students for Palestine fundraising events are also repeatedly taken out of context in order to create a broader narrative of moral panic. If individuals feel harmed or affected by events or statements connected to ZW, they are always welcome to reach out and engage in dialogue. In reality, however, the main attacks have come not from affected communities, but primarily from political parties, media commentators, and city authorities pursuing calculated political agendas.
It is profoundly cynical that these attacks are led by political factions with no track record of supporting integration or diversity. On the contrary, these are the very same actors who routinely scapegoat migrants and actively push political platforms rooted in exclusion and discrimination on the basis of class, race, gender, and sexuality.
It has become increasingly clear that talking about geopolitics, particularly Israel and Palestine, is being treated as a unique taboo. In this context, the demands for 'neutrality' serve as a thin veil for censorship. This selective outrage exposes a profound political double standard and a disturbingly illiberal stance from parties that otherwise claim to champion freedom. Their aim is to censor the difficult realities of our world and limit the development of the very free speech and respectful dialogue they ostensibly protect. Ultimately, liberal values cannot only apply to opinions that are convenient; ignoring reality does not make it go away.
Living in Zurich means having to carve out one's own path to find the ‘hidden gems’ of the city. We all benefit from the vibrancy these spaces bring to everyday life, especially when things feel dull and grey. We have a collective responsibility to ensure that the cultural scene, forged through struggle, patience, and hard work, remains vibrant, independent, and accessible for years to come.
Press release: City Council votes in favour of maintaining Zentralwäscherei
Zurich, 12 March 2026
On 11 March 2026, Zurich City Council voted by a large majority to approve additional funding of around CHF 7.98 million over eight years for the continued temporary use of the Josef site. We are thrilled about this clear vote and see it as a strong signal for the value of open, low-threshold cultural spaces in the city of Zurich. We'd also like to thank the local and city councillors for their many comments highlighting the diversity, volunteer work and special and necessary role of this place in the city of Zurich.
Clear parliamentary yes
By 83 votes to 33, the city parliament voted in favour of extending the temporary use until the planned start of construction on the Josef site, which is scheduled to begin in 2034 at the earliest. The loan will enable the workshops and studios on the site to continue operating, as well as the cultural and sporting activities, which we are also part of. The share of the approved funds allocated to the Zentralwäscherei association amounts to the continuation of the annual rent waiver of CHF 64,000 and an annual operating contribution of CHF 150,000.
The municipal council also rejected a motion by the FDP that would have imposed a contractual penalty for discriminatory events, as well as the SVP's motion to call for new tenders for the catering and cultural operations. We take note of these decisions and see them as recognition that the measures taken are considered appropriate.
Responsibility and consequences
Over the past two years, the Zentralwäscherei Association has repeatedly come under criticism due to individual political events. We have responded to this by strengthening our review process: external organisers must sign binding curation guidelines; checks on the individuals involved have since been carried out consistently. These measures are not merely a response to political pressure, but an expression of our own aspirations: the Zentralwäscherei should continue to be a place that is open and accessible to all people – as far as possible without discrimination. Various tools are available for this purpose, such as awareness concepts and teams, and our online mailbox (https://zentralwaescherei.space/awareness).
Referendum on 27 September 2026
The final decision on the extension now lies with the voters of the city of Zurich. A vote on the additional loan will be held on 27 September 2026. We are calling for the proposal to be accepted. If the proposal is rejected, the temporary use will be terminated. The central laundry represents a place that is hard to find elsewhere in Zurich: accessible, non-commercial, anchored in the neighbourhood and open to different people and communities.
We are still looking for people who would like to campaign for the continued existence of the ZW in the upcoming referendum campaign. Anyone interested can contact us directly at info@zentralwaescherei.space.
Contact
Verein Zentralwäscherei Neue Hard 12, 8005 Zurich info@zentralwaescherei.space
On 3 September 2025, the Swiss Press Council announced its decision on the complaint lodged by the Verein Zentralwäscherei against the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper. The complaint concerned an article published on 29 May 2024 entitled "Radio Lora spreads extreme left-wing terror unhindered on 97.5 megahertz" by Zeno Geisseler (translated), and in particular the section "Radio Lora is to the airwaves what the Zurich Central Laundry is to the event scene: a platform for fundamentalists and terrorist sympathisers, financed by the general public." (translated). The Zentralwäscherei association lodged a complaint against this portrayal on 6 June 2024.
On 3 September 2025, the Swiss Press Council announced its decision: the statement agrees with the Zentralwäscherei association on the core issue that the NZZ violated its journalistic duty to report the truth and the principle of seeking the truth in its reporting on the ZW. This is because the quote mentioned above makes a serious accusation against the Zentralwäscherei association without the article even mentioning the Zentralwäscherei, without explaining the circumstances of this accusation, and without the accusation corresponding to the current state of knowledge of the NZZ editorial team.
The Verein Zentralwäscherei is satisfied with the Press Council's statement. We see the decision as a clear signal against the NZZ's practice of making defamatory statements against organisations that it views critically. In our view, the NZZ is actively attempting to create and construct narratives using this method. For example, in a series of NZZ articles at the beginning of 2025, the Central Laundry was defamed as anti-Semitic, even though we have taken a clear stand against anti-Semitism on multiple occasions.
We hope that other organisations facing similar actions by the NZZ will be able to refer to this statement and/or also contact the Swiss Press Council. Critical reporting must be possible, but we refer to the applicable obligations and guidelines of the Press Council's Code of Ethics for Journalists.
For the full statement: Link
For the Press Council's statement: Link
For the Journalists' Code of Conduct: Link
We are launching an open call for the period of January to March and 2 projects in 2026. ZW is in a diversity-oriented development and particularly encourages submissions from people who are socially marginalised. Our curatorial guidelines as well as our general principles are linked online. What can you apply with? We welcome a wide range of submissions, such as: Exhibitions, social formats, discursive formats, political events, theater, installations, safer spaces, screenings or sound performances. Excluded are events that violate our principles, institutional events, private events or parties. Our curatorial guidelines and principles are available through our webpage zentralwaescherei.space/about.
Apply by 28.05.2025 by filling in the application form linked in our linktree. Please note that the venue is closed from July to end of August and selected dates might already be booked. The evaluation of the entries will be carried out according to our curatorial guidelines and we will try to answer all submissions by 15.07.2025. We are looking forward to your projects!
Wir veröffentlichen einen offenen Aufruf für den Zeitraum von Januar bis März und 2 Projekte im Jahr 2026. ZW entwickelt sich diversitätsorientiert und ermutigt insbesondere Einreichungen von Menschen, die gesellschaftlich marginalisiert sind. Unsere kuratorischen Richtlinien sowie unsere allgemeinen Grundsätze sind online verlinkt. Womit können Sie sich bewerben? Wir begrüßen ein breites Spektrum an Einreichungen, wie z.B.: Ausstellungen, soziale Formate, diskursive Formate, politische Veranstaltungen, Theater, Installationen, Safer Spaces, Screenings oder Soundperformances. Ausgeschlossen sind Veranstaltungen, die gegen unsere Grundsätze verstoßen, institutionelle Veranstaltungen, private Veranstaltungen oder Partys. Unsere kuratorischen Richtlinien und Grundsätze sind auf unserer Website verfügbar.
Bewerben Sie sich bis zum 28.05.2025, indem Sie das in unserem Linkbaum verlinkte Bewerbungsformular ausfüllen. Bitte beachten Sie, dass der Veranstaltungsort von Juli bis Ende August geschlossen ist und ausgewählte Termine bereits gebucht sein könnten. Die Bewertung der Beiträge erfolgt nach unseren kuratorischen Richtlinien und wir werden versuchen, alle Einreichungen bis zum 15.07.2025 zu beantworten. Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Projekte!
ZW is launching 3 Open Calls for 2025:
→ General Open Call for 2025 for independent projects ranging from theater over circus to social and discursive formats and political events.
Deadline for the whole year 2025: 22.12.2024
→ miZik for musicians and band that would like to perform in the Kleinwäscherei on a Sunday night
Deadline for a contribution between January 1st and June 30th: 22.12.2024
→ the beauty in between for artists and collective that wish to propose a concept during one of our ravey
Deadline for a contribution between January 1st and June 30th: 10.12.2024
Deadline for a contribution between July 1st and December 31st: 30.03.2024
ZW is in a diversity-oriented development and particularly encourages submissions from people who are socially marginalized. Please note that projects thought to fit into our space and into our infrastructure are more likely to be accepted.
All necessary guidelines and important documents are accessible vis this LINK
And the links to the entry forms:
We are looking forward to your contributions!
zw turns three
three is a nice number and as a pretty common saying tells us, it is good! well, we will see but we surely hope so.
a year ago we had heavy financial struggles, we called for help, and you all came by, watched theatre pieces, attended performances, danced to bands and lost yourselves in a long ravey. we enjoyed moments at zw together or alone, that fills our hearts with joy and make us keep our drive.
a year later, here we are: still on very fragile financial legs, facing smear campaigns from the right, still empty in between, still working for little money to try to make everything as accessible as possible, although prices still might seem high, we are altogether just still struggling sometimes. arts, music and culture in general is hard to keep afloat.
but again, here we are: zw keeps on running! people from near and far engaging in projects in and around these spaces, helping each other out all in all. organizing ourselves with little means and fuller hearts trying to approach politics, culture, arts and music with compassion and contentment and saying what we want to say.
zurich can be a cold, prude and ignorant city. and it will be even colder in november, but we have plenty of reasons to celebrate 3 years of zw and what we do with it for another 3 years and more and more and more!
this year, our festival will reflect what we have done this year. it will be poetic, delicious, fun and loud. The program will be announced gradually in the next weeks. normal tickets will be release on october 20th
**Room design Installation during ZW festival **
We are launching an Open Call for contributions to our annual festival at Zentralwäscherei. We celebrate 3 years of existence, ups and downs, beauty and anguish, a lot of memorable moments that form this space into whatever you feel it is. ZW is what we all make of it and that is why we are very much looking forward to your contributions for our festival.
For this open call we are looking for applications ranging from installations, room design ideas and/or pieces, decoration ideas and/or pieces. The concept you would apply would remain within our rooms for the period of the whole festival which is from 18.11 till 23.11.2024.
Apply by 01.10.2024. LInk here
We are launching our big annual Open Call for events at Zentralwäscherei and are looking forward to be sharing our space with you next year. ZW is in a diversity-oriented development and particularly encourages submissions from people who are socially marginalised. Our curatorial guidelines as well as our general principles are linked online.
Apply by 10.12.2023 by filling in the application form.
You can enter projects that take place between 01.01.2024 and 31.12.2024.
The evaluation of the entries will be carried out according to our curatorial guidelines and will be announced latest by 10.01.2024.
Hello Hello Du, welcome to the Opencall Zummerbar 2023~!
ZW is partly closed in July/August. But we have a bunch of programs in our Kleinwaescherei/Vorplatz/Rampe, with varies workshops, concerts, screenings and a pool party in the end.
For the 3rd week of zummerbar (19.07-23.07), we make this opencall for whoever stays in Zurich and feels moti to do something. Be it a small concert, a reading, a special workshop, or whatever you have in mind.
The "gig" will not be paid, but food and drinks on the house.)
Please read through our Awareness Concept, if you consider participating.
Have fun and hope to see you in July
彡໒(⊙ᴗ⊙)७彡
Open Call for 4 Slots in 2024
We are launching an open call for 4 projects in 2024 for a maximum time of two weeks in our space(s). This open call specifically targets projects with a longer planning horizon. The main open call follows at the end of 2023, so no hurry there will be another opportunity to hand in your project!
ZW aims to be a diverse space and is in a diversity-oriented development thus we explicitly encourage submissions from people experiencing social marginalization, discrimination and have difficulties finding spaces for their projects in Zurich and beyond. Our curatorial guidelines and principles are available through our webpage zentralwaescherei.space/about.
What you can apply with?
We welcome a wide range of submissions, such as exhibitions, social formats, discursive formats, political events, theaters, installations or performances. Excluded are events that violate our curatorial guidelines and principles, especially no private events and parties or raves.
What is the procedure?
Apply by 15.06.2023 by filling in the application form linked in our linktree. Please note that the venue is closed from July to end of August and selected dates might already be booked. The evaluation of the entries will be carried out according to our curatorial guidelines and we will try to answer all submissions by 15.07.2023. We are looking forward to your projects!
Wir suchen Verstärkung im Betriebsteam Gastro. Als Teil des gesamten Betriebsteams und des Gastroteams umfasst dein Pensum 40% administrative Arbeiten und weitere 20-40% im Service.
Alle weiteren Infos findest du hier
Wir freuen uns auf deine Bewerbung!
We are launching our second Open Call for co-productions and are looking forward to be sharing our space with you next year. ZW is in a diversity-oriented development and particularly encourages submissions from people who are socially marginalised. Our curatorial guidelines as well as our general principles are linked here.
What can you apply with?
We welcome a wide range of submissions, such as: Exhibitions, social formats, discursive formats, political events, theatre, installations, safe spaces, screenings or sound performances.
Excluded are events that violate our principles, institutional events, private events or parties.
What is the procedure?
Apply by 22.01.2023 by filling in the application form (linked here).
You can enter projects that take place between 01.03.2023 and 31.12.2023 - please note that there are certain blocking periods where we are either already fully booked or our company is on holiday.
The evaluation of the entries will be carried out according to our curatorial guidelines and will be announced latest by 01.02.2023.
We are looking for collaborators.
In the week of November 16-19, ZW celebrates its first anniversary with a festival. In addition to regular, set program points, we create space for trying out and experimenting.
Be it a workshop, an info booth, a performance, a mini-concert, or something for which there is no term at all yet. Surprise us with your input, overwhelm us with your concepts.
There are three possible settings:
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the stage; a small, classical stage situation with the possibility of audio playback and lighting.
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the in-between space; fluid happening taking place at some point during the festival without the possibility of audio playback and lighting, but practically the whole ZW can be used!
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Clubstage; During the club night on Saturday there will be a small stage in the club for performances. No possibility for audio playback, the stage can be illuminated.
Contact us with a small sketch of your idea and your preferred time at info@zentralwaescherei.space until 23.09.2022. We will invite you to discuss further details about the implementation and the general conditions with us. In advance, we can support certain financially. :-)
We are advertising positions. All positions are to be filled as of February 1, 2023. We gladly accept your application until September 15, 2022 at bewerben@zentralwaescherei.space. We are looking forward to it!
Operating Team HR and Funding (1-2 positions, 50-60%)
Link to PDF
Operating Team Gastro (3 positions, approx. 100%)
Link to PDF
Operating Team Finance (2 positions, approx. 70%)
Link to PDF
Operating Team Maintenance (1 position, 20%)
Link to PDF
Operating Team Technics (1-2 positions, total 60%)
Link to PDF
Operating Team Administration, Production and Graphics (3 positions, total approx. 100%)
Link to PDF
From July 17, we close the doors of the ZW and open instead for two weeks our terrace with the Zummerbar:
Drinks & Pizzas, every Wednesday - Saturday, from 17:00.
Opening is on Sunday 17 July with concerts by Kautschuk & Haimos.
This will be followed by more program, more details soon in our calendar.
From the 1st of August the whole ZW goes into the well-deserved first break and welcomes you from the 16th of August again with open hearts and arms.
Baci!
Euer ZW-Team
Have fun!