SWISS CABARET ARCHIVE (2024–2026)
The Swiss Cabaret Archive is moving from Thun to Bern, relocating from the home of its founder and tireless custodian, Hansueli von Allmen, to the SAPA Foundation, the Swiss Archive of the Performing Arts.
For over fifty years, the Cabaret Archive has documented the rich and diverse life of Switzerland’s small-scale performing arts. Since 1972, Hansueli von Allmen has nurtured and maintained it, gifting Swiss small-scale performing arts an immeasurable trove of memories. In addition to countless materials on Swiss small-scale performing arts - press reviews, posters, programmes, flyers, texts, props, publications and much more - von Allmen’s archive also contains more than 2 000 books and 5 000 sound recordings: singles and LPs, audio cassettes and CDs, along with 800 videos and DVDs.
The sound recordings will transfer to the Swiss National Sound Archives in Lugano. The latter belongs to the Swiss National Library (NB), which in turn is an institution of the Federal Office of Culture (BAK). The National Sound Archives collect, preserve and provide access to Switzerland’s audio heritage, thereby contributing to the country’s cultural diversity and identity. The inexhaustible small-scale performing arts treasures that Hansueli von Allmen assembled over half a century will thus be accessible in future in both Bern and Lugano.
This undertaking is made possible by the generous support of the following funding partners and cantonal cultural funding bodies:
Loterie Romande, Burgergemeinde Bern, Christoph Merian Stiftung, Albert Koechlin Stiftung, Fondation Johanna Dürmüller-Bol, Otto Gamma-Stiftung, UBS Kulturstiftung, Werner H. Spross-Stiftung, GVB Kulturstiftung
Canton Aargau, Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Canton Appenzell Innerrhoden, Canton Basel-Landschaft, Canton Basel-Stadt, Canton Bern, Canton Freiburg, Canton Glarus, Canton Graubünden, Canton Luzern, Canton Neuenburg, Canton Nidwalden, Canton Schaffhausen, Canton Schwyz, Canton Solothurn, Canton St. Gallen, Canton Tessin, Canton Thurgau, Canton Uri, Canton Waadt, Canton Wallis, Canton Zug, Canton Zürich