An audio journey around the world

“Wunderbare Jahre” by Sibylle Berg, Munich 2016, call number: Ton TF 1029: 1–4   

December 2018. Sibylle Berg, who has made Zurich her home, takes us on a trip around the world through the voice of Katja Riemann. But this is not just a story of white sand beaches and pristine nature. “Wunderbare Jahre” also explores the downsides of travel destinations, both far away and closer to home. If you are planning a trip somewhere in the canton of Zurich, the Zurich Bibliography has numerous guidebooks to help you.

A historical Zurich periodical in digital form

Title page of the “Zürcher Illustrierte” of 9 September 1938, source: e-periodica.ch

August 2018. From 1925 to 1941, the Zürcher Illustrierte played a key role in Swiss press history. It was an important platform for journalism and commentary in the 1930s that focused on socially and politically committed photographic reportages. It has now been completely digitised and is freely accessible on e-periodica.ch.

The house on “millionaires’ brook"

“Das Mädchenheim im Aathal” by David Streiff, Dallenwil 2018, call number: DA 82844

June 2018. Originally a mill, then a spinning works, later a girls’ home and finally a commune for artists and film-makers, “Das Mädchenheim im Aathal” bears witness to the industrial past of the Aa valley and the “millionaires’ brook” from which it takes its name. The book is available in the Turicensia Lounge. For more literature about the Aa valley see the Zurich Bibliography.

The story of a railway station

“Grosser Bahnhof” by David Streiff, Dallenwil 2018, call number: DW 23405

February 2018. “Grosser Bahnhof Winterthur” is a collaboration between publishers Hochparterre and the Winterthur Urban Planning and Civil Engineering Departments. The book includes photos, models, plans and texts shedding light on more than 160 years in the history of Winterthur railway station. It can be read in the Turicensia Lounge or online as an e-paper. For more literature about Winterthur’s railway stations see the Zurich Bibliography.

By horse-drawn tram to “Chreis Cheib”

“Die Tram-, Bus- und Quartiergeschichte im Aussersihl” by Felix Bosshard, Max Peter and René Koller, Zurich 2017, call number: 2018 B 10065

January 2018. Following the tracks, from the first horse-drawn tram right up to the modern-day Cobra units, this book tells the fascinating story of Zurich’s Aussersihl (known as “Chreis Cheib”, or the cadaver district for its historical associations with animal carcases) and its social history. For more literature about Aussersihl, Zurich’s 4th district, see the Zurich Bibliography.

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