Es herrscht wieder Frieden im Land

1981, 30 mins, ½ inch, black-and-white, 8 mins (excerpts), orginal also online: Video collection «Stadt in Bewegung» (Schweizerisches Sozialarchiv and Memoriav).

Documentary about the eviction of the Autonomes Jugendzentrum (AJZ; Autonomous Youth Center) in Basel. The last part depicts conflicts between the different youth scenes (activists vs. rockers).

Voices of young activists
A   What I wanted from the AJZ? To have a place where we could create something like a free state. A place without prescribed laws, where laws would have to be developed. And where laws would come about that would actually enable communal living.
B   That’s what I like about the AJZ, that you can really participate. There’s no boss on your case: You have to do this or that now and so on. And you can do whatever you like. You were free to do anything at the AJZ.
C   I don’t think it tailed off by the end, quite the opposite. True, maybe we had a clearer idea by then how things worked and were less euphoric. We saw how difficult it was. But on the other hand, the solidarity among the people who actively participated grew stronger.