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Abstract
Switzerland has been an important place in the reception of Buddhism since the nineteenth century. Especially during the Second World War and the 1950s, the Buddhist Community Zürich, with its founder Max Ladner (1898–1963), was one of the most prominent institutions in making Buddhist teachings available in Europe. Ladner wrote four books and several articles, which demonstrate his interpretation of a presumed "authentic" Buddhism ("Urbuddhismus") preserved in the Pāli-canon. For Ladner, self-responsibility and independent thinking were of utmost importance. He saw these values represented in Theravāda Buddhism. His interpretation of Buddhism was at first formulated in a critique of Nietzsche's interpretation of Buddhism. Ladner aimed at refuting Nietzsche's portrayal of Buddhism as a pessimistic and nihilistic doctrine. With the foundation of the Buddhist Community Zürich in 1942, Ladner intended to bring together like-minded people and thus to refine his own understanding of Buddhism. Besides that, he corresponded with Buddhists and intellectuals all over the world, which was a major factor in spreading Buddhist ideas and connecting Buddhists in Europe.