In Flux. The Refiguration of the City of Zurich's Residential Care System under Signs of societal Transformation (1970 to 1990)

Abstract

The city of Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland, was home to nearly two dozen institutions for children and young people of all ages. The facilities formed an extremely dynamic field. In the period from 1970 to 1990, i.e. in the aftermath of the 1968 movement and the fundamental criticism of residential child and youth care (Heimkampagne), a large number of institutional concept changes and innovations took place: Institutions closed their doors and reopened them years later with new functions; the number of available places was reduced almost across the board, which in many cases was also justified by more personnel-intensive care. At the same time, the traditional values and practices continued to dominate the residential care system. Some facilities showed astonishing stability with minor adjustments. This tension between persistence and change can be vividly illustrated by the Pestalozzi Youth Center Burghof, a large organization (50 to 100 places) by Swiss standards, on the outskirts of the city of Zurich. The facility for male adolescents offered a medium- to long-term stay. Training workshops were on the grounds, where various vocational apprenticeships were offered. During the period under study, the facility underwent several adaptations and conceptual changes: For example, a school and therapy ward was opened in 1970 and closed again twelve years later. In addition, various restructuring measures took place. In 1987, the facility was temporarily closed, only to be reopened with a new care model in cooperation with the psychiatric clinic.

The proposed presentation examines change on two levels: First, within the city administration, which acted as the operator of institutions of residential childcare and was shaped by an official planning logic, and second, on the institutional level with a specific view on the Burghof. The paper asks about change within official and institutional dynamics. It asks about interactions, constellations of actors, and the contemporary historical context. Particular attention is paid to the establishment of an observation station in the Burghof and the discussion about a closed ward. The latter triggered a controversy not only in the Burghof but also at the level of the city administration. These examples of new concepts show how they were linked to structural changes and that the geographical location played an important role. Instead of the abolition of reformatories demanded by the generation of 68, a new or renewed version of them was enforced by means of spatial and conceptual modifications.

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