Newspapers and journals

The collection of serial publications held at the Swiss National Library (NL) has a strongly national focus. It includes newspapers and journals from all of Switzerland’s language regions, in both printed and digital form (e-journals). The NL also digitises selected newspapers and journals and makes them available online.

Content and scope

• Almost 1 million volumes of periodicals
• Newspapers, journals, magazines, bulletins, yearbooks, calendars
• Rapidly growing collection of e-journals
• Publications from various organisations, associations, parties, religious communities, societies, companies and national, cantonal and local authorities
• From all of Switzerland’s language regions
• In many foreign languages, reflecting the cultural diversity of foreign residents in Switzerland and Swiss citizens living abroad

Collection principles

• On paper or digital
• Digital copies

Research and access

• Documents listed in Helveticat
• Part of the collection of older periodicals is only recorded in a card index that can be consulted in the NL’s information room. These titles are also gradually being added to Helveticat.
• Digitised newspapers on the portal e-newspaperarchives.ch
• Digitised journals on e-periodica
• Access to some digital documents restricted to the NL’s public rooms

• Helveticat
• e-periodica.ch – retro digitized journals
• e-newspaperarchives.ch

• List of microfilmed newspapers by the NL (in German and French)

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