In 1979, the KukuZ (Culinary Cultural Centre) cooperative was founded to open a collectively run pub. At the end of 1980, the property at Quartiergasse 17/19, where the Brasserie Lorraine is located, was purchased and gently renovated. Twenty restaurant employees formed the Brasserie Lorraine cooperative and leased the restaurant from KuKuZ. Operations began in November 1981. More than 30 years later, the "Brass" is still collectively run and self-managed. I joined the cooperatives in 1980, participated in the renovation, learned to cook in the Kreuz Solothurn, a cradle of the Swiss self-management movement, cooked in the Brass for a year, and was involved in the cultural program, which consisted of weekly music or other performances in the pub, as well as managing the first floor with meeting rooms and office spaces. I left the pub collective after a year, amidst the turmoil triggered by the Swiss youth movement.

While I worked in the Brass, I continued to work as a journalist. A piece inspired by the Kukuz experience was a provocative contribution to a competition of the Association of Swiss Designers for Switzerland’s 700th anniversary celebrations. Publication de