Martin Schmidt, Rebecca Spring
“Simply the best” for Stäfa! The president of the Zurich Society, Christian Haltner (65), smiles from ear to ear. The news that Tina Turner, 82, and her husband Erwin Bach, 65, have purchased a luxury property in Steinfels on Lake Zurich, has caused quite a stir. “This is a great joy and honor for our community. Tina Turner is the greatest singer in the world,” Haltner enthuses.
24,000 square metres, with ten buildings, pond, stream, pool and pier – the new “Queen of Rock” weekend retreat leaves nothing to be desired.
The president comes out as a fan
Haltner has been a fan of the international star for many years. He says, “Tina Turner is an incredibly strong woman. What she has achieved in her life is absolutely impressive.” The mayor recalls the singer’s four live concerts, which he witnessed for himself. For the first time in 1996 at the old Gogele stadium in Basel: “She took to the stage and immediately conquered the audience with her charm.”
Stäfa is a tax haven of about 15,000 residents on the right bank of Lake Zurich – it’s known as the headquarters of the Swiss hearing aid giant Sonova. The place once enchanted the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, so he stayed for a month in the Alte Krone pub.
The municipality is behind the museum project
The Tina Turner Museum could soon cast a spell. Tina Turner and Erwin Bachmann should think carefully about this. Still just an idea. “The Tina Turner Museum will be the greatest. The whole area could benefit greatly from this,” says the mayor.
However, such a project will first have to overcome all obstacles in the protection of the monument to the property and in spatial planning. For these same reasons, tennis star Roger Federer (40) refrained from buying Steinfels a few years ago. Should the museum project take shape, Haltner pledges his full support.
Turner instead of Federer
His Lake Zurich community is also full of anticipation. Mark Sherman (47 years old) lives in Staffa and talks excitedly about meeting the world superstar. She smiled back and waved. “Certainly not every star reacts this way.” His son Lenny (8 years old) also wants to be a rock star.
“Once upon a time I hoped Federer would come. Now we have Tina Turner,” says Monica Platman (62).
Nicole Widmer (46) runs Fynns Café in the city. “Tina Turner’s music shaped my childhood,” she says. For them, it is not surprising that the world star chose Stäfa. “Everyone knows each other here, but privacy is still very important.”
