Eric Bachmann: The One-man Water Cannon Test

In response to violent clashes in 1968 between youths and police, the Zurich city council purchased four modern water cannon vehicles, bypassing the municipal council and sparking controversy in the public and media. Taking advantage of their readers’ interest in this subject, journalists Robert Naef and Peter Fasler placed themselves in the water cannon’s line of fire at the Wädenswil police station for a story in the popular magazine, ‘Die und Er’. Photographed by Eric Bachmann, these impressive photographs are now published in their entirety for the first time, offering a previously unseen perspective on the politically charged atmosphere of late 1960s Zurich.