Metadata: Associations, Societies and Parties in D Special Archives
Collection
- Country:
- Switzerland
- Holding institution:
- State Archive of Bern
- Holding institution (official language):
- Staatsarchiv Bern
- Postal address:
- Falkenplatz 4, CH-3001 Bern
- Phone number:
- +41 31 633 51 01
- Email:
- info.stab@sta.be.ch
- Reference number:
- Verein; Verein; Akten und Korrespondenz von Walter Bloch; V SVSt; V JGB
- Title:
- Associations, Societies and Parties in D Special Archives
- Title (official language):
- Vereine, Gesellschaften und Parteien in D Spezialarchive
- Date(s):
- 1848/2007
- Language:
- German
- Extent:
- Around 2 shelf metres
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains some files of interest. Among them are the files and correspondence of Walter Bloch, including, for example, the minutes and files of the Defence Committee against Anti-Semitism, the weekly reports to Saly Mayer, Secretary of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG), correspondence with SIG (especially concerning aid to refugees), the Federal Council's decision on the treatment of political refugees of 7 April 1933, the minutes of the London Conference on Aid to German Jews in October and November 1933, and other matters.
There is also a file on the Jewish Cemetery Bern from the 1990s and the holdings of the Erich Nelson Foundation (1897-1980). Meanwhile, the holdings of the Swiss Association for Student History include a file on Jewish connections and anti-Semitism.
Above all, however, this collection includes the archives of the Jewish Community of Bern. Its holdings, which cover the period between 1848 and 2016, are divided into various sub-divisions: minutes and annual reports, files and correspondence, publications, bookkeeping, membership administration, buildings, cemetery administration, events, social services and refugee assistance.
The latter developed from the welfare activities of the municipality and has always remained closely linked to it. As “Comité Bern“ it is affiliated to the umbrella organisation “Verein Schweizerischer Israelitischer Armenpflegen/Flüchtlingsfürsorgen“ (VSIA/VSJF). In the period before the Second World War, the main purpose of refugee assistance was to provide organisational and financial support to needy refugees for their onward journey. During the Second World War, the Jewish Community of Bern not only supported refugees in Switzerland, some of whom were housed in refugee and labour camps, but also refugees in internment camps abroad, with a focus on the camps in France (Bernese Relief Organisation for Gurs). At the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, Bernese refugee aid was primarily dedicated to Hungarian refugees.
[Verein 34; Verein 42.329; Akten und Korrespondenz von Walter Bloch; V SVSt 168; V JGB]
- Archival history:
- The collections of this fonds came into the possession of the State Archive at different times.
- Administrative/biographical history:
-
The Jewish Community of Bern was founded on 16 October 1848 as the “Corporation of the Israelites of the City of Bern“ (Corporation der Israeliten der Stadt Bern). In 1866, the community was renamed the “Cultural Association of the Israelites of the City of Bern“ (Kultusverein der Israeliten der Stadt Bern). In 1923, the community was named the Jewish Community of the City of Bern (IKGB). From 9 September 1973 it was called Israelite Community of Bern (Israelitische Gemeinde Bern; IGB), before the current name Jewish Community of Bern (JGB) was chosen on 9 May 1982. Legally, the Jewish Community of Bern is an association. In 1996, it was recognised under public law.
The State Archive of Bern is the repository of all state archival holdings worthy of preservation. Since the 15th century, the Bernese archives have been housed in the vaults of the town hall. In 1713 a permanent archive commission was set up. The archives of the perished city and Republic of Bern went to the newly created Canton of Bern in 1803, and partly to the Cantons of Aargau and Vaud. Until 1891, the administration of the National Archive was the responsibility of the respective state scribe.
- Subject terms:
- Aid and relief
- Antisemitism
- Cemeteries
- Jewish community
- Refugees
- Welfare
- World War II
- Access, restrictions:
- Partially closed access. Subject to application.
- Finding aids:
- An online finding aid is available, although the information is often rudimentary.
- Links to finding aids:
- https://www.query.sta.be.ch/suchinfo.aspx
- Yerusha Network member:
- Jewish Museum Hohenems
- Author of the description:
- Severin Holzknecht; Jewish Museum of Hohenems; 2020