Pestalozzianum Research Library
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Content of this page
An image gallery with 5 images follows.
The Pestalozzianum Research Library collects documents, such as books, journals and archive records, and other materials relating to school and educational history, which it stores and makes accessible to the public in printed or digital formats.
You can view the research library’s collection through the Swisscovery library catalogue. You can borrow documents from the library or pay to have them posted to you. Publications listed in the catalogue as being stored in the “Reading Room” cannot be borrowed.
The research library has the following aims:
- To provide an extensive collection and archive of publications by and about Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi in German and other languages
- To provide an extensive collection and archive of Swiss school laws
- To provide an extensive collection of school teaching materials from across Switzerland and dating back to between the mid-19th century and around the year 2000
- To offer advice and support to facilitate Pestalozzi research around the world
- To manage the archive, collections and research library of the Pestalozzianum Foundation and to provide library users with assistance and space to work
- To support the Centre for School History in its projects relating to educational history
The research library is part of the Centre for School History at PH Zurich, which cooperates with other institutions working in school and educational history in Switzerland and abroad.
Services
The public can access the resources at the Pestalozzianum Research Library at no cost. You can borrow documents from the research library or pay to have them posted to you. Most of the publications originated in the 18th, 19th or 20th centuries, but some date back as far as the 16th century.
Sources for degree and research projects
The sources available at the Pestalozzianum Research Library are available for anyone to use for their research work. New sources that have not previously been made available for research are being added all the time. In its archive work, the Pestalozzianum Research Library often comes across interesting new sources that have not previously been made available for research. External researchers are welcome to access the research library and use the sources for their own research. If you are interested, please get in touch with the library by email.
Research support at the Pestalozzianum Research Library
The Pestalozzianum Research Library can help you with your research. There are a number of resources available. Please register your interest in this service by sending an email to
Photocopies and scans
The research library can provide digital copies of chapters and articles from books and journals that cannot be borrowed. You can request “Digitisation” directly in Swisscovery.
Costs
- Delivery within Switzerland: 5 francs for 50 scanned pages and 7.50 francs for 50 photocopied pages.
- Delivery outside of Switzerland (only available through a library abroad): 1 IFLA voucher for 50 pages.
Infrastructure
- There are four work spaces and a computer workstation available at the Pestalozzianum Research Library. The computer workstation is to be used primarily for library use (accessing the catalogue, placing orders, extending loans, reserving items) and research (using online databases, accessing electronic journals and reading e-books).
- Photocopying and scanning: PH Zurich students and staff can make use of the multifunctional equipment available. External users need to bring a USB stick for scanning and can make photocopies for 0.20 francs per A4 page (black and white).
- To return items outside opening hours, please use the box in front of the library door.
Registration
The research library is a member of the Swiss Library Service Platform (SLSP). To register, you need to create an edu-ID and connect it to the SLSP network. You can perform both steps yourself:
Once you have registered, you will be able to use your user number and password to borrow items from all SLSP libraries, place orders online and access your user account immediately.
Loan periods and overdue fines
The general loan period is 28 days. If no reservation has been made, the loan period is automatically extended five times by 28 days each. An e-mail will then be sent, requesting the return of the item. The first overdue fine will be issued 7 days after the date of the e-mail.
In the case of reservations by other users, the borrowed media will be recalled after 28 days at the earliest.
| Reminder | Timing | Overdue fines per item in CHF |
|---|---|---|
| First | 7 days after the due date | 5 |
| Second | 7 days after the first reminder | 5 (10 in total) |
| Third | 7 days after the second reminder | 10 (20 in total) |
If you do not return an item after the third reminder has been issued, you will be charged for the item itself on top of the overdue fines and admin fees.
Collections
Library
The research library has an extensive collection of literature relating to educational history. You can explore the collection on the Swisscovery research platform.
Most of the publications originated in the 18th, 19th or 20th centuries, but some date back as far as the 16th century.
The collection highlights include:
- The comprehensive collection of literature relating to educational history dating back to the early 18th century, including a lot of grey literature (pamphlets, commemorative publications, speeches and lectures)
- A collection of Swiss school laws dating back to 1848
- Annual reports from pedagogical institutions in Switzerland
- Textbooks, some of which are historical
- Journals, some of which are historical
- Graphical works associated with Pestalozzi
- An extensive Pestalozzi collection
Archive
The main areas covered in the archive are:
- Bequests from educators
- School history
- Written works associated with Pestalozzi and Pestalozzi research
- History of the Pestalozzianum Foundation
- Pedagogical research
Pestalozzianum Research Library archives
Image collections
Drawings by children and young people
The Pestalozzianum Foundation’s collection of drawings by children and young people contains approximately 64,000 drawings, which were produced between 1930 and 1980. The collection includes drawings originating from the International Institute for the Study of Young People’s Drawings (IIJ), Pestalozzi Calendar competitions and donations made by several teachers and companies.
Historical glass slides
The collection of over 15,000 glass slides was collected by the Pestalozzianum Foundation between 1925 and 1950 so they could be borrowed by teachers for use in lessons. The glass slides display a wide range of subjects, such as geography, history, art, religion and science. They were fully digitised and indexed in 2022.
School wall charts
The collection of around 2600 school wall charts was collected by the Pestalozzianum Foundation between the late 19th century and the 1990s. The intention was for them to be borrowed by teachers for use in lessons too. Around half of the wall charts in the collection are from Switzerland. For legal reasons, the wall charts from other countries may only be viewed on request.
From the collections
Treasure trove
You can find out fascinating facts about some of the objects in the collections by visiting pestalozzianum.ch.
Curricula from the canton of Zurich
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1838
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1861 Primarschule
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1861 Sekundarschule
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1861
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1892 Primarschule
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1892 Sekundarschule
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1905
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1905 (updated July 1941)
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1937 Rechenlehrplan
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1942 Oberstufe
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1966 Primarschule
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1966 Oberschule
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1966 Realschule
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1972 Sekundarschule
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1991
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 1997
- Lehrplan Volksschule Kanton Zürich 2010
You can view the current curricula for the Canton of Zurich on the Department of Education’s website.
Request archive use
Use this form to order digital copies or apply for access to the internal instance of the “Pestalozzianum Collections” database or to view archive records on site.
Terms and conditions
For further information on usage and loans, please refer to the terms and conditions.