Galerie
Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich, Psychiatriezentrum Rheinau
Collection Rheinau, Staatsarchiv of Canton Zurich
In 1867, Canton Zurich opened a psychiatric hospital for 800 patients at the former Benedictine monastery Rheinau. While at the Universitätsklinik Burghölzli (p. 123) acute “cases” were diagnosed and treated for a maximum of two years, this care institution took on the cases labeled “incurable,” and these patients often remained in the asylum until their death. Due to overcrowding, the Neu Rheinau was built in 1901. After the First World War, up to 1,200 patients lived in Alt-Rheinau and Neu-Rheinau. The institution was thus one of the largest in Switzerland and also one of the largest agricultural enterprises in the country. Alt-Rheinau was closed in 1999, and Canton Zurich took an “inventory of cultural goods,” in which 825 works by nine women and ten men were included. Most came from the time of directors Friedrich Ris (director 1898–1931) and Karl Gehry (head physician at Neu-Rheinau, 1908–1931, director, 1931–1942). Gehry (1881–1962) kept extensive series by Hermann M.
(1894–1943), who created ornamental drawings, wrote calligraphy and wrote poems, and by Heinrich Bachofner (1863–1926), who was kept at the asylum from 1914 to 1926 and had a wide range of technological interests. Bachofner’s entire oeuvre was published in 2017. The autobiography of seamstress Anna Z. (1867–1938), one of Gehry’s patients, was published in 2013. It is virtually a miracle that the fragile works by Lisette H. (1857–1924) remain intact today. A group of works by the embroiderer Jeanne (Johanna) Natalie Wintsch (1871–1944) made its way to the Sammlung Prinzhorn. The important collection remained completely unknown until 2010. It can be viewed online. The patient files of the institution include other works as well, but these holdings have not yet been systematically studied.
Exhibition
2010–2012 “Rosenstrumpf und dornencknie“. Werke aus der Psychiatrischen Pflegeanstalt Rheinau 1867-1930, Museum im Lagerhaus St. Gallen 1.12.2010-15.3.2011;
15.6.2011-29.1.2012 im Medizinhistorischen Museum der Universität Zürich
2011 54. Biennale der Kunst in Venedig ILLUMInazioni: seven embroideries of Jeanne Natalie Wintsch
2012 “Ghosts in the Machine“, New Museum New York (17.7.-30.9.2012), two embroideries of Jeanne Natalie Wintsch
References
Gehry Karl, Pflegeanstalt Rheinau, Kt. Zürich. Anhang Kloster Rheinau v. Hermann Fierz, Zürich 1932
Jahresberichte der Heil- und Pflegeanstalt Rheinau 1867-1930
Gesundheitsdirektion des Kantons Zürich (eds.), Kantonale Psychiatrische Klinik Rheinau 1867-1967. Zum 100-jährigen Bestehen, Rüschlikon 1970
Jörger, Albert, Inventar der Kulturgüter. Denkmalpflege des Kantons Zürich 2000
Luchsinger, Katrin, Hirsch, Helen, Röske, Thomas (eds.), Extraordinaire! Unbekannte Werke aus psychiatrischen Einrichtungen in der Schweiz um 1900/Extraordinairy! Unknown Works from Psychiatric Institutions in Switzerland around 1900, (Catalogue d/e), Zürich 2018
Luchsinger, Katrin, Die Vergessenskurve. Werke von Patientinnen und Patienten in psychiatrischen Anstalten um 1900. Eine kulturanalytische Studie, Zürich 2016
dies., Iris Blum, Jacqueline Fahrni, Monika Jagfeld (eds.), Rosenstrumpf und dornencknie. Werke aus der Psychiatrischen Pflegeanstalt Rheinau 1867-1930, (Catalogue),
Zürich 2010
Dies., (ed.), Pläne. Werke aus psychiatrischen Kliniken in der Schweiz 1850-1920. Zürich 2008
Peter-Kubli, Susanne, Interesse an seelischer Brüchigkeit: Karl Gehry (1881-1962), Psychiater in der Klinik Rheinau, Zürich 2013
Schoop-Russbült, Brigit, Psychiatrischer Alltag in der Autobiographie von Karl Gehry (1881-1962), Zürich 1989
Walser Hans, Hundert Jahre Klinik Rheinau 1867-1967. Wissenschaftliche Psychiatrie und praktische Irrenpflege in der Schweiz. Am Bsp. einer grossen Heil- und Pflegeanstalt. Aarau 1970
Z., Anna, (1916) “Lebensbeschreibung einer (Unglücklichen!) sowie die Schilderung der Erlebnisse während zehn Jahren im Irrenhaus“, Luchsinger, Katrin, (ed.), Zürich 2013