Library am Guisanplatz

Library am Guisanplatz is the central library serving the Swiss Federal Administration and Armed Forces, holding more than 1 million documents and publications. The collection ranges from books to digital resources covering multiple specialized fields.

The facility grew out of the Swiss Military Library Service and underwent major consolidation in 2009 when 44 federal administration libraries in Bern merged into one operation. This merger made it the primary resource center for government documents and specialized materials.

The collection focuses on subjects like military history, civil protection, and environmental topics that serve the needs of federal administration work. Visitors find specialized materials here that are otherwise difficult to access elsewhere.

The location is at Papiermühlestrasse 21a in Bern and operates on weekdays in two separate time blocks. Government staff and the public can use its services, though there is a break in the middle of the day.

The Alexandria online catalog system provides complete access to the digital holdings of Swiss Federal Administration Libraries. It includes rare military documents that are normally not available to the general public.

Operator: Eidgenössisches Departement für Verteidigung, Bevölkerungsschutz und Sport VBS

Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 08:30-11:00, 14:00-16:30; Saturday-Sunday off

Website: https://big.admin.ch

GPS coordinates: 46.95929,7.46299

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:06