Muhammad Ali, Zürich, 26.12.1971
Eric Bachmann
Muhammad Ali, Zürich, 26.12.1971

No. 11, December 2023

Muhammad Ali Peace II

Eric Bachmann Fotoarchiv, Muhammad Ali, Jurgen Blin

Two sheets of philosophical musings written by Muhammad Ali during his stay at the Atlantis Hotel in Zurich. From the Eric Bachmann Fotoarchiv.

Nr. 19

“The seas and rivers and streams have many names, But they all contain Water; and religions have various names, But they all contain the same truth expressed in different forms at different times.

Muhammad Ali Peace”

“I think the known of the truth will find truth in the symbols of the Roman Catholic Church, and will find the same truth in the absence of symbols in the protestant Church

Muhammad Ali Peace 1971”

While preparing for his fight against Jürgen Blin on Boxing Day, 26 December 1971, Muhammad Ali stayed at Zurich's Hotel Atlantis at the foot of the Üetliberg. During this time, Muhammad Ali trained in the forests of Zurich's local mountain. In addition to his physical preparation, the boxer also took time to write philosophical musings and poems on the hotel's stationery.

The Eric Bachmann Fotoarchiv has now been able to track down four of the more than twenty handwritten poems from this period and add them to its collection on. Other discoveries and contemporary documents have also found their way to the Eric Bachmann Fotoarchiv in 2023.

Während er sich auf den Kampf gegen Jürgen Blin am Boxing Day, dem 26. Dezember 1971 in Zürich vorbereitete, residierte Muhammad Ali im Hotel Atlantis am Fusse des Uetlibergs. In dieser Zeit trainierte Muhammad Ali in den Wäldern des Zürcher Hausbergs. Neben der körperlichen Vorbereitung nahm sich der Boxer aber auch immer wieder Zeit, philosophische Gedanken und Gedichte auf dem Briefpapier des Hotels zu verfassen.

Vier der über zwanzig handgeschriebenen Gedichte aus dieser Zeit konnte das Eric Bachmann Fotoarchiv nun wieder ausfindig machen und in seine Sammlung aufnehmen. Auch andere Entdeckungen und Zeitdokumente haben im Jahr 2023 den Weg ins Eric Bachmann Fotoarchiv gefunden.

Dominik Bachmann