Paranoia City

Paranoia City is a bookstore and cooperative in Zurich, Switzerland. It was founded in 1975 by five communards as an anarchist bookstore. Today it is run collectively by four booksellers and offers a wide range of left-wing political books. The bookstore also hosts free readings and celebrations.

Paranoia City was founded in February 1975 when five communards opened an anarchist bookstore in a building slated for demolition in Zurich's old town. The name was created by artists who had protested the official closure of the legendary Café Odeon in 1972 with the 'Paranoia City Anzeiger'. The store initially carried a small assortment of anarchist literature, books on the anti-nuclear movement, feminism, Indigenous cultures, and U-Comix. After three months, they had to move due to demolition, and after two further moves, they settled at Anwandstrasse from 1980 to 1995. In 1980, the youth movement began, and the store became a meeting point and distribution center for fanzines and the photo book 'Bewegig' No. 32. Over time, the group shrank from five to three, and by 1985 it became a one-man operation. After attempts to revive self-management, the remaining man decided to run the bookstore alone, with employees assisting only in more pleasant aspects. Today, the bookstore is run collectively by four booksellers and is a cooperative.

1. 1Paranoia City Buchhandlungparanoiacity.ch
2. 2Über uns – Paranoia City Buchhandlungparanoiacity.ch
3. 3Geschichte – Paranoia City Buchhandlungparanoiacity.ch
4. 4Jubiläum 2025 – Paranoia City Buchhandlungparanoiacity.ch
5. 5Paranoia Citywikidata.org