> 1920 - 2019
> 1960 - 2013
> 2020 - 2027
He lived in the building with his then wife Julie, a young dancer and dance teacher, and they used it as a studio and workshop. They treated the former sacred building with care and respect, thanks to which its original appearance has been largely preserved.
In the years following the purchase, the couple set about converting the former sacred building. The most radical change they made to the building was the large studio window on the east façade.
They set up their living quarters with a bathroom and toilet on the gallery. They set up a kitchen and dining room in the former Jewish primary school. After separating from Julie, Walter planted fruit and nut trees, vines and vegetables outside on the façade and in the courtyard. From then on, he lived as a self-sufficient, anti-consumerist, vegetarian and later vegan until his death in 2012 in the former synagogue.
After Walter Gürtler's death, Julie Gürtler sold the property in 2014 to the Allschwil sculptor and goldsmith Daniel Chiquet, who recognised the potential and sound structure of the building and set about renovating the spacious rooms with great enthusiasm.
There is still much to learn about Walter Gürtler on the internet thanks to the Freundeskreis Walter Gürtler association, which is dedicated to preserving the artist's legacy and regularly organises exhibitions featuring the collection of Jeanne and Rolf Schneebergere-Affolter.
www.waltergürtler.ch