Swiss Social Archives, Memory institution and specialized archive in Zürich, Switzerland
The Swiss Social Archives (Schweizerisches Sozialarchiv) is a historical archive, academic library and documentation centre housed in the Sonnenhof in Zürich since 1984. It holds more than 190,000 books, about 1,400 periodicals, some 1.25 million newspaper clippings and over 100,000 sound and image documents. Its holdings include the papers of over 800 organisations and about 150 public figures, among them Herman Greulich, Max Weber, Hedi Lang and Ursula Koch.
The institution was founded in 1906 as a center for Swiss social literature and attracted influential figures like Lenin and Trotsky early on. During the interwar period and Cold War, it became an important gathering place for refugees fleeing fascist and authoritarian regimes.
The archives preserve the papers of over 800 organizations and about 150 public figures, among them Herman Greulich, federal councillor Max Weber, Hedi Lang and Ota Šik. Corporate holdings range from the Swiss Trade Union Federation and Pro Juventute to WWF Switzerland, Greenpeace Switzerland and Amnesty International Switzerland, alongside special collections such as the Swiss Gay Archive and the Rolling Stones Archive.
Use is public and free of charge. Holdings are consulted mainly by researchers, students, teachers in history and social sciences, and journalists; the reading room records around 50,000 entries a year. Library holdings are listed in the Swisscovery union catalogue, while other holdings are searchable through finding aids on the archive's website. The archive is at the Sonnenhof in Zürich.
The archives are a founding member of the International Association of Labour History Institutions (IALHI). Since 2018 they have had a media partnership with NZZ Geschichte, and between 2020 and 2022 they helped gather digital documents on the Corona crisis. Director since 2014 is Christian Koller.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,663 contributors worldwide.
