Swiss Federal Archives

The Swiss Federal Archives is a national repository in Bern that collects and preserves federal administrative documents, photographs, maps, and plans. The collection contains more than 500,000 digitized entries that visitors can access.

The institution was founded in 1798 and initially stored its holdings in the vaults beneath the town hall. In 1939 it moved to a dedicated building at Falkenplatz, where it remains today.

The archives hold documents that reveal how Swiss politics and society have evolved across centuries. Visitors can trace the decisions that shaped the nation's course through these records.

Visitors can search the digital holdings and view original documents in dedicated reading rooms. These spaces are open during regular hours and provide comfortable conditions for working with archival materials.

Between 2015 and 2022, the institution implemented a comprehensive digital management system to meet modern record-keeping standards. This project opened up vast portions of the collection to the general public for the first time.

Location: Bern

Inception: 1798

Part of: list of cultural properties in Bern / Kirchenfeld-Schosshalde

Address: Archivstrasse 24, 3003 Bern

Phone: +41313228989

Email: Bundesarchiv@bar.admin.ch

Website: https://bar.admin.ch

GPS coordinates: 46.94056,7.44639

Latest update: December 8, 2025 21:02