Archiv für Zeitgeschichte

Klaus Urner, then a 24-​year-old history student, founded a"Working Group for Contemporary Histor" on November 1, 1966, to safeguard his collection of historical documents. The Archives of Contemporary History was born. 

For reproduction as well as for complex research requests, the rates of the fee schedule apply. The use of cameras is permitted. Borrowing of archival or library materials is not possible. 

The Archives of Contemporary History of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich - ETH Zürich - ETH Zurich) collects written and audio-visual documents of private origin on Swiss History from the late 19th century to the present. Furthermore, it makes these historical sources available to the public. With its commitment to safeguarding and preserving Swiss cultural assets, it performs a task of national importance in accordance with the strategic orientation of the ETH Zurich. As a so called specialised archive, it complements the federal archival appraisal. It preserves and indexes mainly personal papers of individuals and archives of private organisations concerning the three thematic areas politics, economy, and history of the Jews in Switzerland. With its services, it enhances teaching and research on Swiss contemporary history in international context. This institution holds Holocaust related collections and projects among which for instance: the"Datenbank zu Presseberichten in jüdischen Periodik" and the"Bildarchiv Schweizer Juden (BASJ". 

The Archives of Contemporary History (AfZ) is part of the Institute of History at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich). As research center against oblivion, the Archives of Contemporary History belongs to the international community of the Shoa archives. It secures holdings on Swiss contemporary history and functions as a business archive in the greater Zurich area.