Literary estates and archives in German

Hängeregistratur mit frühen Gedichtentwürfen von Peter Bichsel
Hanging files containing early drafts of poems by Peter Bichsel (Photo: NL, Simon Schmid)

When the Swiss Literary Archives were established in 1991, they took over the historical holdings of the National Library, including the literary estates of Hermann Hesse, Carl Albert Loosli, Rainer Maria Rilke, Annemarie Schwarzenbach and Carl Spitteler.

Additions to the collection focus primarily on 20th-century writers. Also represented are institutions and publishers’ archives as well as small collections such as the Hans Rhyn autograph collection.

The collections in focus

In the following list you will find holdings in German for which additional information is available or that are the subject of ongoing or completed research projects or publications. This list is updated regularly.

For all other collections in German, please see the alphabetical list below to the online inventories of the Swiss Literary Archives. 

** = entire fond (as far as surviving or known)
* = partial fond

Last modification 04.04.2024

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Contact

Swiss National Library
Swiss Literary Archives
Hallwylstrasse 15
3003 Bern
Switzerland
Phone +41 58 462 92 58
Fax +41 58 462 84 08
E-mail

Print contact

Opening hours

by appointment

https://www.nb.admin.ch/content/snl/en/home/about-us/sla/estates-archives/german.html