Swiss Economic Archives
Education & Research
Traffic in the Archives
Immerse yourself in the history of transport and industry. Watch historical films, visit the archive with its old files, puzzle over sources, and browse through original documents.
Programme
Free Travel! Journey Back to the Old Days of Transport
Take your seat for the film screening. Be entertained by old industrial films with scenes from shipping, car, and air traffic.
17:00 – 00:00
Take-Off! Traffic on the Second Basement Level
Flick through the endless magazine archives, some of which are up to 300 years old! Enjoy the collection of pictures, letters, and plans about transport in the olden days.
18:00, 20:00, 22:00
Step Aside! Digitalisation in the Archives
See how yellowed newspaper articles from 1898 are transformed into machine-readable data which historians can use to gain new insights.
19:00, 21:00
Traffic Jam! Puzzling with Archival Materials
Complete the puzzle of the industrial world with the legendary Eptinger giraffe or an economic map featuring Swiss brands, old and new.
17:00 – 00:00
Stop! Browse Through Sources
Discover old advertising brochures, posters, and historical economic studies, and learn how advertising and research were conducted in the past.
17:00 – 00:00
Sanitary facilities
Toilets available and wheelchair accessible
Accessibility
wheelchair accessible
General Information
Rest area with seating available
About Swiss Economic Archives
The Swiss Economic Archives (SWA) is the national centre of excellence for sources on the Swiss economy and economic history. It is open to the public and has around 650 archive collections, 40,000 documents, and 2.6 million newspaper clippings. Archives stored and maintained by the SWA include those of the Württembergerhof on the Basel silk industry, the Segerhof on early international trade, and Alusuisse on aluminium production. Many documents are available in digital form and can be searched for via the website. Originals such as letters, plans, photographs, and minutes can be viewed in the special reading room, and printed materials can be borrowed to take home. The SWA was founded in 1910 in Basel and is part of the University Library.