Swiss Literary Archives

Abstract is: The Swiss Literary Archives (SLA - Schweizerische Literaturarchiv) in Bern collects literary estates in all four national languages of Switzerland (German, French, Italian and Romansh language). It is part of the Swiss National Library operated by the Federal Office of Culture within the Federal Department of Home Affairs. The archives were founded in 1991 and are located in the building of the Swiss National Library. The foundation can be tracked back to the last will of the writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt, who died in 1989. Dürrenmatt gave his literary remains to the state, but under the condition that the state establishes a national archive for literature. The Swiss Literary Archives today contain around 100 important literary estates and premortal-estates and about 120 partial estates and collections, including material from: * Peter Bichsel * * Hermann Burger * Erika Burkart * Blaise Cendrars * Alice Ceresa * Jacques Chessex * * Albert Einstein * Heinrich Federer * * Jean Gebser * Friedrich Glauser * Eveline Hasler * Hermann Hesse * Patricia Highsmith * Ludwig Hohl * Urs Jaeggi * * Peider Lansel * Hugo Loetscher * * Golo Mann * * Mani Matter * Mariella Mehr * Niklaus Meienberg * Adolf Muschg * * Paul Nizon * Giovanni Orelli * Erica Pedretti * * * Rainer Maria Rilke * * * Annemarie Schwarzenbach * Carl Spitteler * Verena Stefan * Beat Sterchi * Walter Vogt * Otto F. Walter * Silja Walter * Jean Starobinski * * Georges Poulet * Georges Borgeaud * * Agota Kristof * Maurice Chappaz * S. Corinna Bille * Gonzague de Reynold