State Opera

The state nothing more than a great opera? With a tiny group of opera stars and directors,

• who more than 2000 years ago, have staged the opera of their power granted by God,

• around 400 years ago, have made a new staging with an opera about the incarnation of the people by the state,

• 300 years ago, the opera of the absolutely and reasonably justified state power,

• 200 years ago, the opera celebrating their power based on a solemn contract of all of us,

• and now for a good 100 years, at the Bundesplatz in Bern and in other opera houses in various capitals of the world the opera of a democratic constitutional state in which people are governed not by other people but by laws they have made themselves;

and all these performances with such catchy melodies, elegantly celebrated statements, pompous appearances and in front of such wonderful sceneries that we, the many statists, take it all for real. – But we just could stop playing.

BOOKS

For more books in german refer to the German part of the website.

Staats-Oper Schweiz

The book “Staats-Oper Schweiz” (State Opera Switzerland) is only available in German so far. It is a satirical mixture of political reality and phantasy. In its core it shows that the famous Swiss direct democracy is no democracy at all, the people not governing themselves but being governed by a small arrogant gang called government. Democracy is not real life; it is an opera.

The second edition 2022 adds a new epilogue on a totally flopping performance called “Corona” with severe consequences for the State Opera: It is financially ruined and loses more and more state believers. 

MEDIA
Columns - Essays - Articles – Videos

Only few media texts and videos are available in English so far, more is planned to come. For more media work in German refer to the German part of the website.

The Inescapability of Law - 2019
Anarchism, Capitalism, and the Law - 2021

DAVID DÜRR

David Dürr attaches importance to correct behavior, orderly processes and harmonious relationships. That is why he is an anarchist.

An-Archie understood in the sense of the word as order without "arch" (= Greek supremacy), that is as a social order with reliable rules of conduct, order structures and procedures, if need be with effective conflict solutions in fair processes - but all of this without anyone claiming a monopoly in the sense of an ultimate supremacy in these matters. For that would - like every monopoly - worsen the quality of the regulatory and procedural services, increase the price and make the provider arrogant. The latter is particularly dangerous in the field of law and order, as history has repeatedly shown.

David Dürr is senior partner in a law firm in Basel and professor emeritus of private law and legal theory at the University of Zurich.

He lives in Basel, is married, has four adult children and several grandchildren.

CONTACT

The form will be sent to duerr(at)staatsoper.ch.