Sound recordings

12 04 IMG 0074
Source: Iconographie AFS

Although the number of sound recordings held by the Swiss Federal Archives is by no means large, there are nonetheless a few real gems among them. The audio material is usually preserved on tape cassettes, tape reels, CDs or records. The debates of the Swiss parliament recorded from 1982 onwards represent the largest collection.

Sound material on the Second World War

The fonds of the Press and Radio Division (1815-1960) contain censored sound recordings of the axis powers and the allied forces as well as propagandist sound recordings from Switzerland. Military marches and speeches by General Guisan are available from the private archive Guisan Henri (1886-1988). The speech Winston Churchill gave in Zurich in 1946 can be found in the fonds of the Department for Political Affairs (1849-1980).

The collection of sound recordings fonds (1942-1994) include among others:

  • Radio drama about Max Daetwyler, the well-known Swiss pacifist
  • Speech by National Councillor Robert Grimm on the occasion of the election of his party colleague, social democrat Ernst Nobs, as Federal President.
  • Radio transmissions on various political topics from the early 1970s
  • Interview with historian Willi Gautschi on General Guisan (1989)
  • Speeches by minister for the economy Rudolf Minger (1940s)

Additional sound material

Tips for further research

Last modification 04.11.2019

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