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Ramona Fritschi
+41 21 692 47 84

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Overview

The Manuscripts and Archives Department collects and preserves documents about key personalities or institutions that have had a significant impact on Vaud canton.

Created in 1932, the Manuscripts and archives Department holds over 600 archival collections, a vast number of single items and around 30 mediaeval manuscripts. A collection of maps complete the department’s offer.

Due to the relocation of our collections, the consultation of archives and heritage objects is unavailable since March 1st 2024. If you have any questions, please feel free to write to us.

We are gradually migrating our resources to Patrinum. For the time being our current databases are still accessible at the following links:

Archival collections

Single items

You can browse our collection of maps through Renouvaud.

We also provide access to dissertations from the Faculties of Arts, Geosciences and Environment, and Social and Political Sciences.

If you cannot find the archival fonds or the document you are looking for, please contact us for further information.

The historical part of the collection comes from the Académie de Lausanne: manuscripts owned by the Académie or its professors and various papers related to their academic work.

The acquisition of important archival fonds from Vaud families and key figures in the canton (professors, politicians, doctors, etc.) has been a priority for the Department since the 1940s. The collection has subsequently been expanded to include archives related to literature, music and fine arts. Artistic production in the broadest sense is represented by the archives of editors or associations.

Digitised resources are available on Patrinum. The platform is constantly increased with new digitised items.

A selection of our mediaeval manuscripts can be accessed on e-codices – Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland.

If you own documents that you would like to offer to the Manuscripts and Archives Department, we would be delighted to assess the possibility of including them in our collections.

The first step is to consider their relation to Vaud canton from a historical, cultural, political or social perspective Their physical condition is a further point that we take in account. Depending on the criteria mentioned above, we will decide if a part of your offer or all the documents can join our collection.

If needed, temporary restrictions to consult some items can be set out in an agreement signed by both parties.