Collegium Musicum
From 1720 the cafe hosted the Collegium Musicum founded by Georg Philipp Telemann as a law student in 1702 and later directed by Johann Sebastian Bach between 1729 and 1739. The concerts directed by Bach lasted about two hours and consisted of German and Italian opera, chamber music, secular cantatas, and works for orchestra. Zimmermann charged the Collegium Musicum no fee for hosting their concerts, nor were the audience charged a fee; Zimmermann's expenses were repaid by sales of coffee. The concerts ended with Zimmermann's death in 1741.