Swiss Literary Archives (SLA)

The Swiss Literary Archives are the literary memory of Switzerland.

The Swiss Literary Archives collect the literary estates and archives of individuals and institutions in each of Switzerland’s four literatures.

The Swiss Literary Archives hold the leading collection of 20th- and 21st century Swiss literatures: manuscripts, letters, diaries, reviews, audio and image documents, books and a wide range of personal effects.

In the “Insights – outlooks” section, staff of the Literary Archives delve into the collections and reveal some of their most interesting and attractive finds.

The holdings of the Swiss Literary Archives are publicly accessible and can be consulted for academic and literary research or journalistic purposes.

The attic at Laubeggstrasse 49 in Bern, which was decorated by Friedrich Dürrenmatt when he was a student, can be rented for overnight stays by guests of Bern’s cultural institutions and private individuals or viewed as part of a guided tour.

This section contains bibliographies on Georges Borgeaud, Blaise Cendrars, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Anna Felder, Jonas Fränkel, Plinio Martini, Grytzko Mascioni, Alberto Nessi, Giovanni Orelli and Andri Peer.

The Swiss Literary Archives stage exhibitions that present their holdings to the public at large and provide access to the world of Swiss literatures.

The Swiss Literary Archives organise literary soirées with writers and specialists as well as scientific conferences that address topics drawn from the collections.

The Literary Archives’ regular publications include the newsletter “Passim”, the journal “Quarto” and the “Bulletin du Cercle d’études internationales Jean Starobinski”. Projects and conferences form the basis for editions and scientific publications.