Peeking out from behind a kiosk stands a tribute to a man who filled Zurich with song. This is the Ignaz-Heim-Denkmal. It honors Ignaz Heim, a Swiss musician and composer. He dedicated his life to folk songs.
Ignaz Heim was born in Renchen Germany in 1818. Initially he followed in his father’s footsteps. He began a career as a pharmacist. However, music was his true calling. After his father’s death, he sold the pharmacy. He moved to Freiburg im Breisgau. There he founded the Freiburger Liedertafel.
Political tensions arose after the Badische Revolution. Heim faced harassment. Because his father had Swiss citizenship, he moved to Switzerland in 1850. From 1852, he lived in Zurich. He led singing clubs and directed church choirs.
Heim collected and arranged folk songs. He published them in two collections. These were the Sammlung von Volksgesängen and Neue Volksgesänge. They were available for men’s or mixed choirs. Editions were made for both Switzerland and Germany. These collections became standard for choirs and schools. They went through many editions. Stereotype plates of his songs appeared after 1898.
Zurich recognized Heim’s contribution. A street and a square were named after him. Baptist Hörbst, a student of Ferdinand Schlöth, created this monument in 1883. It stands here on Heimplatz. Even today, the Heimstrasse bears his name. Before 1892, it was known as Schulstrasse. The Heimstrasse leads directly to the Ignaz-Heim-Denkmal.
In 1862, Ignaz Heim was made an honorary member. It was awarded by the Allgemeinen Musik-Gesellschaft Zurich.
Heim’s final resting place is in the Sihlfeld Cemetery in Zurich. Gottfried Lochbrunner published a biography of Heim in 1914. It appeared in the Neujahrsblatt der Allgemeinen Musikgesellschaft Zürich.
Interestingly, in the early 1990s, there was a proposal. Josef Estermann wanted to rename Heimplatz. He suggested Max-Frisch-Platz. Max Frisch lived in Hottingen. Several of his plays premiered at the Schauspielhaus nearby. The street naming commission rejected the idea. They feared the public would still call it Pfauen.
Take a moment to appreciate this monument. It commemorates a man who fostered the love of folk music. The Ignaz-Heim-Denkmal stands as a reminder of his lasting impact. It echoes through the streets of Zurich. His music brought joy to countless hearts.