Swiss Economic Archives

The Swiss Economic Archives (SWA) is the national competence centre for sources on the Swiss economy and economic history. You can find us together with the University Business and Economics Library near the Basel SBB train station.

Opening hours

Monday to Friday 8:00-18:00
Saturday 8:00-16:00
Orders from the stacks 9:00-16:00

Opening hours on public holidays

Location and contact

Peter Merian-Weg 6, 4052 Basel
How to find us
Postal address

info-ubw-swa@clutterunibas.ch
+41 61 207 32 19

Search portal "SWA Search"

Events

09 Mar 2023 16:15 – 01 Jun 2023 18:00

Übung - Arbeiten im Archiv - Die Schweizer Energietransitionen von der Kohle bis zu den Erneuerbaren

Eine Übung für Studierende am Departement Geschichte und anderer Fächer mit Bezug zur Wirtschafts-, Kultur- und Sozialgeschichte.

News

16 Jan 2023

Frisch digitalisierte Bestände

09 Jan 2023

SWA Search – Neues Suchportal für das Schweizerische Wirtschaftsarchiv

13 Dec 2022

Adventskalender

28 Nov 2022

Blog: Wer bezahlt für die knappe Energie?

23 Nov 2022

Filme schauen im Archiv

Collections and finding aids

Economic archives

Over 550 company archives, association archives, archives of individuals contain internal business documents created by protagonists of the private economy: minutes, letters, financial documents, plans or photos.
Finding aids: swisscollections, swisscovery; e-manuscripta for digitized documents

Economic documentation

The boxes of the documentations on firms and organisations, on persons, and on topics contain highly condensed material, printed and electronic, like grey literature, annual reports, newspaper clippings.
Finding aids: SWA search portal, swisscovery, swisscollections

Newspaper cuttings

Newspaper clippings are an important component of the economic documentation. They allow for a focussed access on trends and discoures concerning corporate bodies, persons or economic topics.
Finding aid: Search portal newspaper cuttings

Services

A bright special reading room, generous opening hours, information services, the opportunity to take photos… all of this is at your disposal.

Finding aids

From Alusuisse to Zwilchenbart, from agricultural policy to monetary transactions: the SWA has collections of documents and archives on companies and associations, individuals, topics.

Preserving archives

Entrust us your archive… or talk to us about the options for safeguarding your historical legacy.

Your support

Private commitment to archives of the private economy is important. Third-party funding from private individuals and foundations allow the SWA to carry out exciting projects.

Foundation

The Foundation for the Promotion of the Swiss Economic Archives (Stiftung zur Förderung des SWA) acts as a hub for third-party funding and organises events.