Metadata: Old State Archive 1218-1878
Collection
- Country:
- Switzerland
- Holding institution:
- State Archive of Nidwalden
- Holding institution (official language):
- Staatsarchiv Nidwalden
- Postal address:
- Stansstaderstrasse 54, CH-6370 Stans
- Phone number:
- +41 41 618 51 51
- Web address:
- https://www.nw.ch/staatsarchiv/116
- Email:
- staatsarchiv@nw.ch
- Reference number:
- StANW C
- Title:
- Old State Archive 1218-1878
- Title (official language):
- Altes Staatliches Archiv 1218-1878
- Creator/accumulator:
- Administration of Nidwalden
- Date(s):
- 1659/1860
- Language:
- German
- Extent:
- 65 shelf metres
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The Old State Archive of the State Archive of Nidwalden contains various subdivisions. In the sub-division “Relations with Foreign Countries“, a file from 1860 contains a complaint from the French government to the Swiss Federal Council concerning discrimination against Jews in Switzerland. In the sub-division “Relations with federal places“ a file from 1808 includes a decree of the police of the canton of Uri concerning Jews. A file from 1759 reports on the transmission of a letter from a certain Johann Jakob Bierbrauer of Kassel, who asks for financial support from the mayor and council of Zurich and the Landamman and Council of Obwalden for the writing of a book on “thieving rabble and Jews“. Another file from 1808 also reports that France had tightened its laws concerning Jews, which is why Bern feared a wave of immigration of Jews to Switzerland and wanted to debate stricter laws concerning Jews. The collection also contains a printed version of a decree from 1809 on the commercial rights of Jews. A collection from 1773 reports on a judgement against the Jew Josef Simson of Fürth near Nuremberg, who had been branded and banned from the Swiss Confederation. He was also no longer tolerated in Unterwalden. Two files of interest can be found in the “Sonderbund“ sub-division. Both report on the debate that took place in the canton of Basel-Land between 1839 and 1841 concerning the right of establishment for Jews. The sub-division “Correspondence with Federal Institutions“ contains two files of interest. Both report on the dispute between France and the Canton of Basel-Land that erupted in 1836 after Basel refused to allow French Jews to settle in Basel. There is also a file of interest in the “Nidwaldensia“ sub-division. Nidwaldensia 689 contains, among other things, official statements concerning the Jews covering the years between 1659 and 1808.
[StANW C 1000/4:733; StANW C 1025/1:398; StANW C 1025/4:219; StANW C 1025/8:284; StANW C 1025/8:285; StANW C 1025/9:42; StANW C 1090/9:346; StANW C 1090/9:353; StANW C 1112/4:14; StANW C 1112/4:15; StANW C 1525]
- Archival history:
- Many of the collections of the Old Archive were in the State Archive when it was founded. Other collections were probably gradually transferred to the Archive.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The State Archive of Nidwalden is the public archive of the canton. It preserves unique cultural assets from more than 800 years of Nidwalden history.
- Access points: locations:
- Basel
- Switzerland
- Uri
- Subject terms:
- Antisemitism
- Legal status of Jews
- Migration
- Finding aids:
- An online finding aid is available, although the information is often rudimentary.
- Links to finding aids:
- https://archivverzeichnis.nw.ch/home/#/
- Yerusha Network member:
- Jewish Museum Hohenems
- Author of the description:
- Severin Holzknecht; Jewish Museum of Hohenems; 2020