Library
Translation House Looren’s reference library holds some 10,000 books and journals. Its holdings are listed in the online catalogue.
Subject areas:
- monolingual and multilingual dictionaries in around 90 languages
- Swiss literature in the four national languages, German, French, Italian and Rhaeto-Romanic
- Books on translation
- Looren Collection (copies of translations worked on at the translation house)
- Züst Collection (selection of works from the Albert Züst publishing house)
- Specialized reference works and non-fiction (history, sciences, arts, philosophy, etc.)
- Swiss audiobooks
- Film adaptations and films about Swiss writers
- Literary journals
Access for Guest Translators
Our guest translators are welcome to use the library. If you cannot find a specific dictionary for your language combination, please let us know. All books can be taken to guests’ rooms for work purposes. Please fill in a slip for each book and leave it on the shelf in its place.
Online dictionaries
Digital Dictionary of the German Language (Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache DWDS): https://www.dwds.de/d/woerterbuecher
Swiss dialect dictionaries
For translators looking for Swiss words and phrases, we recommend the following dictionaries:
Berndeutsch-Wörterbuch: www.berndeutsch.ch
Aargauer Wörterbuch: www.hunziker2020.ch
Historical Dictionary of Switzerland:
https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/ (German)
https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/fr/ (French)
https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/it/ (Italian)
Français de Suisse: https://www.lexilogos.com/suis...
Patois: https://www.lexilogos.com/suis...
Access for the Public
External visitors can also use our reference library with its workplaces and internet connection. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm.
Please contact us by telephone beforehand. Tel.: 043 843 12 43
Other Libraries and Archives:
Zurich Central Library
Zurich Central Library is the library of the canton, the city and the university. It is one of the largest lending libraries in Switzerland, with some seven million items. Translation House Looren provides guests with a library card for borrowing material. Online catalogue
Thomas Mann Archive, Zurich
The Thomas Mann Archive contains Thomas Mann’s literary estate and the furnishings of his last study. The archive is the central point of contact for academic work on Thomas Mann. Visits are possible, with advance notice.
Robert Walser Centre, Bern
The Robert Walser Centre maintains the Robert Walser Archive, which collects all material on the life and work of Robert Walser and Carl Seelig. Archive documents can be consulted in the reading room. Visitors must register at least two weeks in advance.
Swiss Literary Archive, Bern
With more than 250 literary estates, over 60 writers’ libraries and the archives of living authors, the Swiss Literary Archive (SLA) holds the most significant collection of Swiss literatures of the 20th and 21st centuries. It is part of the Swiss National Library. Materials are accessible in the reading room. Please register two weeks in advance.