Tyrolian State Archive © Verena Radner

The Tyrolean State Archive, located in the heart of Innsbruck, originated from two institutions: the Government Archive, whose records date back to the eleventh century, and the Regional Archive of the Tyrolean Landtag, first documented in 1502. Merged and modernized in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it became the first state archive of an Austrian crown land to open its holdings to researchers in 1866. Today, the archive combines historic collections with modern research and service facilities. Its holdings span more than 30,000 linear meters and include records from state offices and authorities as well as non-state materials from estates, noble families, associations, and companies.¹

Municipal Archive of Reutte © Magdalena Gärtner

The Municipal Archive of Reutte is located in the “Haus der Vereine” (House of Associations) in the town center, alongside other public facilities such as the City Library. Its holdings combine materials from both the municipal and the museum archives, ranging from legal sources to documents from family archives. The archive is overseen by the city archivist, Dr. Richard Lipp.

In 1998, the holdings were cataloged by Sebastian Hölzel and documented in the publication: Sebastian Hölzl, Die Gemeindearchive des Bezirkes Reutte, Part II, Tiroler Geschichtsquellen No. 38, Innsbruck, 1998.

Municipal Archive of Bolzano © Magdalena Gärtner

The Municipal Archive of Bolzano preserves the city’s historical records and documents its development from the Middle Ages to the present day. Its origins can be traced back to the fifteenth century, while the archive itself was formally established by the city council in 1776. Today, its holdings include charters as well as a broad range of administrative and governmental records dating back to the thirteenth century. They also encompass the archives of formerly independent municipalities and various institutions. With approximately 2,500 linear meters of material, the Municipal Archive of Bozen serves as the central repository of the city’s historical memory and as an essential resource for historical research.²

Also located in Bolzano, the Provincial Archive of South Tyrol is the central institution responsible for preserving the documentary heritage of the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol. Its establishment is closely linked to the autonomy legislation of 1972, while it was formally founded in 1985. In that year, both the archive and the Provincial Library moved into their new premises on Armando-Diaz-Straße 8/B. The archive collects, preserves, and makes accessible records produced by provincial authorities, as well as materials from other public bodies and private sources. Its holdings document administrative, political, and social developments in the region. In addition to supporting historical research, the archive ensures the long-term preservation of culturally significant documents and thus constitutes an essential resource for understanding the history and governance of South Tyrol. The archive is directed by Dr. Gustav Pfeifer.³

The same building houses the Bolzano State Archives, which holds important collections, particularly court records and district office files.⁴

Provincial Archive of South Tyrol © Sophie Prein

Diocesan Archives of Bressanone © Senta Herkle

The Hofburg in the city of Bressanone is home to both the Diocesan Museum, founded in 1901, and the Diocesan Archives. These privately owned archives belong to the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone and combine three principal holdings: the Court Archives, the Consistorial (Ordinariate) Archives, and the Archives of the Cathedral Chapter. The Diocesan Archives preserve a rich collection of primarily ecclesiastical sources, including parish records, administrative documents, manuscripts, and historical correspondence spanning several centuries. They are currently directed by Dr. Erika Kustatscher.⁵

Klausen City Archive © by Sophie Prein

The Klausen City Archive is an independent institution headed by the city archivist, Dr. Christof Gasser. It is housed in Klausen’s former customs house, located directly on the main road that, during the eighteenth century, accommodated not only the customs station but also several inns. As a result, the sources on Klausen’s history are situated quite literally at the center of transalpine traffic. The archive’s integration into this historical setting also offers additional approaches for understanding the historical conditions of Alpine transit.

Bruneck City Archive © coming soon…

The “Schwörhaus” in Ulm © Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Ulm City Archive—also known as the House of City History—is housed in the historic “Schwörhaus auf dem Weinhof”, built between 1612 and 1618, and ranks among the oldest and most significant municipal archives in Germany. Founded in 1515, following preliminary organizational work in 1504 and the creation of its first finding aid in 1518, the City Archive today holds around 6,000 linear meters of records, more than 10,000 imperial-city charters, and an almost uninterrupted series of council minutes dating back to 1510. It also preserves the globally unique collection of the so-called “Ulmer Münster Risse” (historic architectural drawings), as well as approximately 150,000 photographs and around 450,000 negatives. The House of City History preserves, collects, and catalogs these sources and regularly presents exhibitions on the city’s history in the vaulted hall of the Schwörhaus. Since 2019, it has also hosted a permanent exhibition on Albert Einstein and his Ulm family.⁷

Überlingen City Archive © Lioman, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Housed in the “Alte-Stadtkanzlei” (Old Chancellery), the Überlingen City Archive preserves historical sources dating back to the twelfth century. Formerly an Imperial City heavily engaged in grain trading and viticulture, Überlingen’s economic and political importance is reflected in the remarkable diversity of its archival holdings. Records relating to the Imperial City date back to 1241, while those of the “Überlingen Spital” extend as far back as 1181.

The archive’s primary focus, however, lies in the early modern period, when Überlingen’s administrative structures had become fully developed. From this era, nearly complete series of administrative registers and official records have survived. In addition, the archive holds an extensive collection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century materials, including sources related to the rise of tourism. Altogether, the Überlingen City Archive contains approximately 4,500 parchment charters and around 1.4 kilometers of archival records.⁸

Kempten City Archive © coming soon …

The Kempten City Archive originated from the registry of the city magistrate and today administers, catalogs, and preserves documents that chronicle Kempten’s 700-year history. The archive continues to grow steadily through records transferred from the magistrate’s administration, as well as through donations and private bequests. Its holdings consist predominantly of handwritten materials, including 1,813 charters dating from 1335 to 1876. In addition, the archive preserves a wide range of administrative files, charters, council minutes, family records, genealogical indexes, historical photographs, drawings, city views, and newspapers.

Alongside the storage facilities for the archival collections, the Stadtarchiv Kempten includes a research library with extensive regional historical literature, a reading room, and a restoration workshop.⁹

The holdings of the State Archive of the Canton of Graubünden (Grisons) and the Cantonal Library in Chur comprise records of the cantonal administration and authorities since 1803, documents from the period of the Helvetic Republic (1798–1803), and archival materials relating to the Free State of the Three Leagues from the late fifteenth century until 1798. Some of these sources even date back to the early Middle Ages.
The oldest records are more than 800 years old and include files, protocols, manuscripts, drawings, photographs, printed materials, and electronic data. Today, the archive preserves around 7,000 linear meters of material and continues to expand in both scope and informational value.¹⁰

State Archive of Graubünden and cantonal library © Sgt. Awesome, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Chur Old City Archive © Xenos, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Chur New City Archive © Mattias Nutt, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

In addition to the State Archive Graubünden, Chur is also home to a municipal archive. For more than 500 years, the Chur City Archive was housed in the city’s historic town hall before only recently relocating to its new premises in the “Mehrwerk” office building. The archive is dedicated to documenting the 1,000-year history of Chur, including the formerly independent municipalities of Hof, Maladers, Haldenstein, and Tschiertschen-Praden, the Plessur Region, and the former districts of Chur, Churwalden, and Schanfigg. The archive holds various charters, administrative records, and handwritten volumes dating back to the Middle Ages. A substantial part of the collection consists of documents relating to the city’s five guilds between 1465 and 1840, together with municipal administrative records collected since the nineteenth century.

Besides juridical records, the Chur City Archive preserves around 80,000 photographs, graphics, hand drawings, maps, and plans. In addition to its extensive and diverse archival collections, the Stadtarchiv Chur maintains a reference library offering literature on the history of Chur and the wider region of Graubünden.¹¹

Lucerne City Archive © coming soon …

The Lucerne City Archive preserves sources of great importance for the identity and self-understanding of Lucerne as the center of Central Switzerland. Its holdings, which exist predominantly in analog form, focus mainly on records dating from the early nineteenth century onward, a period during which the cantonal system began to take shape. Until 1803, the Lucerne City Archive and the State Archive formed a single institution. Only with the dissolution of the Helvetic Republic and the reestablishment of the Swiss Confederation as a federation of 19 cantons (1803–1813) were the holdings divided. Even today, documents relating to the former city-state of the Helvetic Republic remain in the city archive, alongside records of the municipal administration. In addition, the collections include judicial records, private archives, maps and plans, as well as several special collections containing charters and pamphlets, and other materials.¹²

Casa Storica © coming soon …

Located in the municipality of Andeer, in the canton of Graubünden (Grisons), the so-called “Casa Storica” is a former residence in which Erwin Dirnberger presents his collection of muleteer documents, postcards, writings, objects, and curiosities from the Viamala region. The museum, which also serves as a small archive, offers unique insights into the valleys along the Hinterrhein and the historic transit route known as the Via Spluga, along which our ALPINKONNECT project is also conducting research.¹³

Regional Archive in Marca © by Riccardo Rossi

The Archivio a Marca (Regional Archive in Marca / Regionalarchiv von Marca) in Mesocco is a foundation established in 1981. Its activities include the reorganization, cataloging, and preservation of documents, as well as making them accessible to the public. Since 2008, the foundation has also operated a historical image archive project intended to encourage greater involvement among younger generations.

The archive’s holdings include parchment charters, almost 10,000 letters, more than 500 books and manuscripts, historical prints, postcards, photographs, paintings, and various family archives. The archive itself is housed in Marca’s old stone horse-changing station, the exterior of which is also preserved by the foundation. In the past, the station served as a stopover for carters and goods traveling along the San Bernardino Pass route. Consequently, the archive building itself may also be regarded as a historical source for Swiss Alpine transit.¹⁴

Bellinzona City Archiv © coming soon …

The Bellinzona City Archive is the central archive of the city administration and preserves the historical memory of the city and its incorporated districts. It manages administrative records, private collections, and a wide range of publications. Particularly significant are the documents relating to the municipal amalgamations of 1907 and 2017, through which numerous local archives were integrated into the Bellinzona City Archive. The archive’s mission is to safeguard the region’s cultural and administrative heritage over the long term while making historical sources accessible to researchers and the general public.¹⁵

State Archive of the Canton of Ticino © Vale-B*Girl, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Founded in 1803, the State Archive of the Canton of Ticino preserves documents produced by public authorities, prominent individuals, families, associations, and businesses dating back to the twelfth century. Its holdings include notarial archives, administrative records, historical funds, iconographic and cartographic materials, as well as books and periodicals. Directed by Michele Marzaghi, the archive serves as the documentary memory of the Canton of Ticino and provides valuable insights into the region’s political, social, and cultural history. With approximately 28,000 linear meters of records, it is one of the most important repositories of historical documentation in southern Switzerland. In addition to preserving and cataloging its collections, the archive is involved in the digitization and accessibility of historical records. Through its reading room, research services, and public-access initiatives, it supports both academic research and the wider public in exploring Ticino’s documentary heritage.¹⁶