By Lauren Fink
A new collection containing materials of the Swiss Benevolent Association of Cincinnati, Ohio has just been processed in the Archives and Rare Books Library and a finding aid is now accessible at http://rave.ohiolink.edu/archives/ead/OhCiUAR0270. This Cincinnati-area organization was founded in 1871, with the objective of bringing Swiss citizens together to cultivate traditions and provide support, and remains active today. From its inception, the association has not only organized social events, but has also provided assistance (i.e. funeral costs, welfare services, and scholarships) for members and German-Swiss related charities. This collection, of a primarily German-speaking group, adds a new dimension to the UC Libraries’ other holdings in German Americana.
Of special interest, activities like Swiss Consul August Keller’s visit to Cincinnati in 1966, or the viewing of the movie “Fortress of Peace” at the 1967 fall meeting, are summarized in this collection. Details of Swiss Independence Day and Christmas parties are also present, as well as those of Swiss picnic or ski outings. Mainly, however, the collection outlines the association’s ideologies and activities in the 1960s via by-laws, meeting minutes, correspondence, financial reports, activity reports, annual reports, membership lists, and calendars. Though not as comprehensive, some calendars, meeting minutes, and membership lists are present from 1989 through the 2000s. Also of note in the new Swiss Benevolent Association collection is a compilation of United Nations broadcasts on Switzerland from 1972-1974. The Association will continue to add to its records in the German-Americana Collection in the future.
The Libraries’ German Americana Collection is one of the largest and most diverse archives of its type in the world, researched by students, scholars, and the general public around the country and across the globe. For more information about this collection, please see: http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/ger_americana/index.html, and for additional information on the Archives & Rare Books Library’s collections and services, please go to: http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/index.html.