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Story
The VSUZH (Association of Students at the University of Zurich) is the latest chapter in the long history of Zurich's student body. Below, we would like to introduce you to this history in more detail. Further information can be found in the book "We Are What We Remember," which presents the history of Zurich's student body from 1968 onwards. This history of the Zurich student body is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC 3.0 . You are welcome and encouraged to share it for non-commercial purposes. A freely accessible digital version exists. A print version was available from Theodor Schmid Verlag. However, this publisher appears to no longer exist; the page from 2023 is still visible via the Wayback Machine . If you would like a printed copy, you can contact the board directly ; they still have some copies available.
Another good, detailed source on the early history of Zurich students (although partly more focused on student associations) is "Geschichte der Studentenschaft an der Universität Zürich" by Hans Erb, published in 1937.
A brief history of Zurich students
I. The General Student Assembly and the Student Corporations (1833 - 1919)
When the university was founded in 1833, an organized student body was not part of the plan. However, a loose, sporadically meeting student assembly soon emerged—the General Student Assembly (AStV). During its fifty-year existence, it gradually took on a more organized form and, despite lacking an official basis, was considered a credible voice of the students. Since, in practice, only members of student fraternities participated (who comprised only one-fifth of the student body), the AStV decided to dissolve itself in 1888.
The following decades, however, remained marked by a conflict that seems alien today: the contrast between members of student fraternities and sororities and the remaining, "wild" students. During this chaotic period, despite several attempts and complex compromises, no body could speak for all students. The members of fraternities and sororities, who constituted a clear minority, saw their delegate assemblies—which, incidentally, explicitly excluded women—as the only legitimate representation of the student body. This parallel existence of the fraternities and sororities ended with the founding of the student body of the University of Zurich and the final decline of the fraternities and sororities.
II. The student body of the University of Zurich (1919 - 1978)
In 1919, at the initiative of the students, the cantonal education council issued the first regulations governing the organization of the student body. The student body of the University of Zurich (SUZ), thus founded, differed from all its predecessor organizations in two essential points: the compulsory membership of all enrolled students (and the associated semester membership fees) and the equal treatment of affiliated and non-affiliated students.
Thanks to its newfound financial stability and legitimacy, the SUZ was able to achieve what had previously been impossible. It offered a travel agency, the Zurich Student Newspaper (ZS), loans and scholarships, student shops (through the central office ZSUZ), housing placement, and many other services.
After 1968, the SUZ (Student Union) became increasingly dominated by the political left, which earned it many enemies. In 1977, two students filed an appeal against the SUZ's mandatory membership fee, arguing that there was no legal basis for such compulsory membership. When the cantonal government upheld the appeals, the SUZ's fate was sealed. After more than 50 years, the student body was dissolved. Although the cantonal government attempted to establish a new body with a right of withdrawal by decree, this was not considered legitimate by the students and was ultimately dissolved by the Federal Supreme Court due to the lack of a legal basis.
Many of the services of the SUZ continue to exist: the ZS is supported by its own association, the loan fund and the central office of the student body were spun off as foundations (although the ZSUZ had to file for bankruptcy 40 years later, in 2017) and the housing placement service became today's WOKO.
III. VSU and StuRa (1978 - 2012)
To continue electing student delegates to university committees, the directly elected Extended Grand Student Council (EGStR) was formed, but this was purely an electoral body without any political representation function. The task of politically representing student interests was unofficially taken over by a private association: the Association of Students at the University of Zurich (VSU). Although the VSU was a clearly left-wing group, which naturally complicated relations with the university and the education authority, it long served as the media contact point and de facto assumed the responsibilities of the SUZ.
The VSU's mandate ended for two reasons: its financial and human resources steadily declined, and the association's situation became increasingly critical from the 1990s onward. Membership numbers plummeted from thousands to hundreds, and filling board positions proved nearly impossible. The association was finally dissolved in 2005. Incidentally, the VSU's legal successor was an association that remains active at the university today: the critical political group, better known as kriPo.
Secondly, in 1994, the EGStR was transformed into the Student Council (StuRa) through a complete revision of its General Rules of Procedure. The significant difference: the StuRa was no longer a purely electoral body, but now officially had the task of politically representing the students. It successfully fulfilled this task despite lacking legal personality and being financially dependent on the University of Zurich (UZH), but with the ongoing goal of re-establishing a constituted student body – a public corporation.
IV. The VSUZH (2012 - present)
Here we are. After 35 years without clear student representation, the Cantonal Council approved a motion on August 29, 2011, with 99 votes in favor, 72 against, and 0 abstentions, to enshrine the Association of Students of the University of Zurich (VSUZH) as a public corporation in the University Act. The new structure included voluntary membership, independent student associations, and no general political mandate. When the amendment came into effect on October 1, 2012, a formally constituted student body officially existed once again. The statutes were approved by the University Council, the first elections were held, and the VSUZH commenced its work at its inaugural meeting on May 28, 2013.
The path to this point has involved years of negotiations, demonstrations, compromises, and countless failed attempts. But the students finally have the opportunity to speak with one voice again. Now it's up to all of us to use it.