Swiss Literary Archives SLA Schweizerisches Literaturarchiv Swiss National Library

History and Founding

The Swiss Literary Archives (SLA; German: Schweizerisches Literaturarchiv) were established in January 1991 as a division of the Swiss National Library in Bern. Their foundation owes directly to the writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt, who in 1987 stipulated that his donation of literary estates to the Swiss Confederation was contingent on the creation of a national literary archive. After his death in 1990, the Swiss government honored this condition, and the SLA opened in the National Library building. Upon its founding, the SLA incorporated the historical manuscript holdings of the Swiss National Library.

Collections and Holdings

The SLA holds the leading collection of 20th- and 21st-century Swiss literature in all four national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. Its collections encompass manuscripts, typescripts, diaries, letters, reviews, audio and visual documents, books, and personal effects from over 250 (partial) estates and more than 60 authors' libraries. Holdings include estates of major writers such as Hermann Hesse, Rainer Maria Rilke, Annemarie Schwarzenbach, Carl Spitteler, and Robert Walser, as well as Nobel laureate André Gide (donated by the Catherine Gide Foundation). The estates of Annemarie Schwarzenbach and Ella Maillart have been inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

In addition to literary estates, the SLA's acquisition policy encompasses archives of publishing houses, writers' associations, companies, and newspapers, making it a resource for media and press history research as well. The archives also collect archives of cultural institutions in a broader sense and literature by exiled emigrants and immigrants.

Access and Usage

All holdings are publicly accessible for academic and literary research purposes. Documents may be consulted on-site by prior appointment. The SLA digitizes materials not subject to rights restrictions and makes them available through online platforms. Finding aids and online inventories are accessible via the Swiss National Library's website.

Publications and Events

The SLA publishes the newsletter Passim, the journal Quarto, and the Bulletin du Cercle d'études internationales Jean Starobinski. It regularly organizes literary soirées, scientific conferences, and public exhibitions.