EPFL Archives

The EPFL Archives are dedicated to preserving the history of EPFL. They collect, preserve, and promote documents reflecting the institution’s administrative, educational, and scientific activities, in any format—analog or digital.

The EPFL Archives at a glance: download the brochure (french)

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The EPFL Archives document and preserve the institutional memory of EPFL in a neutral, impartial, ethical, and traceable manner.

The existing archives allow us to trace the founding of EPFL and its early activities.

Beyond legal obligations, archiving is a strategic endeavor: it contributes to EPFL’s collective memory and history, ensures the continuity of its missions, and shapes its future.

Archiving today enables us to answer the questions of tomorrow, whether they are administrative, scientific, historical, or societal.

The EPFL Archives are responsible for the following activities:

  • Ensuring that archiving complies with legal requirements (ArchA and Archiving Ordinance)
  • Collecting, processing, preserving, and promoting EPFL’s historical and heritage documents
  • Making the archives accessible and available for use, in accordance with the law
  • Advising departments and units on the management of their current and interim records
  • Assisting departments and units in organizing, sorting, and preparing records for transfer to the archives
  • Developing record retention schedules tailored to the specific needs of departments and units

Archivists are available to answer any questions or provide assistance.
Absolute confidentiality is guaranteed for personal data or information subject to confidentiality.

Under the Federal Act on Archiving (ArchA) of 1998 and its Ordinance (Archiving Ordinance) of 1999, every federal agency is required to preserve and archive documents of legal, political, economic, historical, social, or cultural significance.

As an autonomous institution in the matter of archiving, EPFL manages its own archives in accordance with the principles of the law and current professional standards.

The law defines documents as: “all recorded information, irrespective of the medium, that is received or produced in the fulfilment of the public duties of the Confederation, as well as all finding aids and supplementary data that are required in order to understand and use this information.”

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