In this new episode of bauhaus faces, we dive into the life and work of Hans Fischli. Often overlooked in broader Bauhaus stories, Fischli worked across architecture, painting, sculpture, and teaching—leaving a mark that’s still felt today.

To get a sense of his impact, I spoke with the people who knew him best: his son, the artist Peter Fischli; his grandson, curator Fredi Fischli, who is currently preparing an exhibition on Hans Fischli at Zentrum Paul Klee in Berne; and his granddaughter, the artist Gina Fischli. Together, they share personal stories and reflections on their (grand-)father’s architectural and artistic work.

🎧 Listen on bauhausfaces.com or on all major podcast platforms!

SHOW NOTES
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EXHIBITION OF HANS FISCHLI'S WORK JAN 24 2026 bis APRIL 26, 2026 AT ZENTRUM PAUL KLEE

GLOSSARY
"Schlehstud" – name for Fischli’s first house, built in 1933
Reihenhaus – town house, terraced house
Goldküste – gold coast
Bauzonen – building zones
Baugrube – building pit
Filetstück – filet piece (which means the best piece of them all)
Verkehrswege – traffic paths (the ways that you use to move around in a building)
Gesinnung – state of mind, mindset
Maßanzug anziehen – to put on a tailor-made suit
Siedlung – estate, settlement
Landesausstellung „Landi“ – National exhibition
Chef-Adjutant – chief assistant
Rekrutenschule – recruit training
Planungsstab – planning department
Heimatstil – local, folklore style
Gartenbauausstellung – Gardening exhibition
geistiger Widerstand – intellectual resistance
Unaufgeregte Moderne – unagitated modernity
Kunstgewerbeschule – School of Applied Arts, Zurich
Wettbewerb – competition

LITERATURE ABOUT HANS FISCHLI
Christa Zeller: „"Die Zeit der Baukünstler ist vorbei’: Zum architektonischen Werk von Hans Fischli“, in: Werk, Bauen + Wohnen, issue 76, No. 6, 1989, 04:19 89:76 ::1748#646">https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=wbw-004:19 89:76 ::1748#646

Karl Jost: Hans Fischli. Architekt, Maler, Bildhauer, Zürich: gta, 1992

Hans Fischli. Meilen, Ortsmuseum Meilen, 1990

Hans Fischli: Rapport bebildert, Zürich, 1978

TV INTERNIEWS WITH HANS FISCHLI
Karussell, 22 Sep 1981, SRF

Das Monatsmagazin, „Die drei Berufe des Hans Fischli“, 17 Oct 1979, SRF,

WORKS AND LETTERS BY HANS FISCHLI
https://www.sik-isea.ch/de-ch/Über-uns

COVER PHOTO Portrait of Hans Fischli, https://www.baukultur-waedenswil.ch/fischli-hans.html

CHAPTER IMAGES
01/02 Portrait of Hans Fischli, https://www.baukultur-waedenswil.ch/fischli-hans.html
03 Hans Fischli: Zellengebilde, 1929, https://teojakob.ch/de/aktuell/hans-fischli/
04 Neubühl housing estate, Zurich, 1932, Stadt Zürich, public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1607352
05 Hans Fischli: „Schlehstud“ House, Obermeilen, 1933, by Port(uo)s, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28060617
06 Hans Fischli: Workers’ settlement „Gwad“, Wädenswil, 1943, https://www.baukultur-waedenswil.ch/anhang-architektenlexikon-der-schweiz-1998-2077.html
07 Hans Fischli: Zig zag north facade of the Feller AG, 1953, by Port(uo)s, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28060617
08 Landi, 1939, Stadt Zürich, public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1607352
09 Hans Fischli in his studio, 1944, Schweizerisches Kunstarchiv, https://www.sik-isea.ch/it-ch/Archivio-darte-Biblioteca/Archivio-darte/Fondi-archivistici/Vetrina-virtuale/Details/content/2475
10 Hans Fischli and employees of his office, ca. 1940, Schweizerisches Kunstarchiv, https://www.sik-isea.ch/it-ch/Archivio-darte-Biblioteca/Archivio-darte/Fondi-archivistici/Vetrina-virtuale/Details/content/2475