Stiftung Doku-Zug

Stiftung Doku-Zug is a Swiss non-profit foundation headquartered in Zug. Its stated purpose is to give the public access to historically valuable information and documents from the Zug region, covering fields such as politics, business, education, environment, culture, history and sport. Beyond access, the foundation promotes research in these areas and seeks to contribute to a better public understanding of them. It pursues these goals by supporting projects in contemporary-history research related to the Zug region, by encouraging exchange of opinion on matters of public interest, and by helping to publish works such as dissertations, Matura, bachelor's and master's theses. The foundation grew out of a private documentation effort begun in the 1980s by Daniel Brunner, who started collecting articles for his own research and political work. The collection outgrew his private premises, and in 1994 he moved it into a location in Zug's old town. A professional team, at times around ten specialists, maintained the growing collection of media articles and a small specialised reference library. In 2017 Brunner founded Stiftung Doku-Zug to transform the doku-zug.ch documentation centre into a broadly supported, politically neutral institution funded in equal parts by private individuals, the Canton of Zug and the municipalities. The plan to continue the documentation centre independently did not prove feasible. In 2019 Brunner and the foundation accepted an offer from the Zug city council to integrate the doku-zug.ch collection — more than three million media articles in 4,600 thematic dossiers — into the Bibliothek Zug (Zug Library). Since 2020 the collection has been held at the Bibliothek Zug, where it remains accessible, and since 2021 it has been supplemented electronically. Because of this reorientation, the foundation adjusted its purpose in 2021: instead of collecting and making accessible testimonies of contemporary history itself, it now supports projects that document local contemporary history and make it available to the public. A 2021 film, "Zuger Dokumentation – ein Gedächtnis für die Zukunft" (directed by Remo Hegglin), portrays the special character of this documentation effort, described as unique in Switzerland. Today the foundation operates as a grant-making and support body for contemporary-history projects in the Canton of Zug and neighbouring areas. It also awards the Prix Doku-Zug; the 2026 prize ceremony is announced for 12 June 2026 at the Lorzensaal in Cham. Prospective applicants can use a "Gesuche" (applications) section on the foundation's website to gauge whether their project fits the foundation's remit.

The origins of Stiftung Doku-Zug reach back to the 1980s, when Daniel Brunner began collecting articles for his own research and political work. The collection grew quickly beyond his private premises, prompting him to take up a location in Zug's old town in 1994. The growing collection of media articles and a small but fine specialised reference library were looked after by a professional team that soon numbered around ten specialists. In 2017 Daniel Brunner founded Stiftung Doku-Zug with the aim of transforming the doku-zug.ch documentation centre into a broadly supported and politically neutral institution carried in equal parts by private individuals, the Canton of Zug and the municipalities. The project met with considerable approval. The goal of continuing the documentation centre independently could not, however, be realised. In 2019 Daniel Brunner and Stiftung Doku-Zug therefore accepted the offer of the Zug city council to integrate the doku-zug.ch collection — more than three million media articles in 4,600 thematic dossiers — into the Bibliothek Zug. Since 2020 the extensive collection has been held at the Bibliothek Zug. The documentation is now accessible at the Bibliothek Zug, and since 2021 the collection has been supplemented electronically. Because of this reorientation, the foundation adjusted its purpose in 2021. Instead of itself collecting and making accessible testimonies of contemporary history, Stiftung Doku-Zug now supports projects that document local contemporary history and make it available to the public. The film "Zuger Dokumentation – ein Gedächtnis für die Zukunft" (director: Remo Hegglin, 2021) shows the special features of this documentation effort, described as unique in Switzerland. Today the foundation continues as a grant-making body for contemporary-history projects in the Canton of Zug and neighbouring areas, and it awards the Prix Doku-Zug, with the 2026 ceremony announced for 12 June 2026 at the Lorzensaal in Cham.

• 2026

  Prix Doku-Zug 2026 award ceremony announced for 12 June 2026 at the Lorzensaal in Cham.

• 2021

  The foundation adjusts its purpose to supporting projects that document local contemporary history; the collection begins to be supplemented electronically.

• 2021

  The film "Zuger Dokumentation – ein Gedächtnis für die Zukunft" (director: Remo Hegglin) is released.

• 2020

  The collection of more than three million media articles in 4,600 thematic dossiers is held at the Bibliothek Zug.

• 2019

  Brunner and the foundation accept the Zug city council's offer to integrate the doku-zug.ch collection into the Bibliothek Zug.

• 2017

  Daniel Brunner founds Stiftung Doku-Zug to transform doku-zug.ch into a broadly supported, politically neutral institution.

• 1994

  The growing collection moves into a location in Zug's old town.

• 1980

  Daniel Brunner begins collecting articles for his own research and political work.

A politically neutral, regionally rooted Swiss foundation that funds and promotes documentation of contemporary history in the Canton of Zug and neighbouring areas.

• Project grants for contemporary-history research related to the Zug region

• Support for publications such as dissertations, Matura, bachelor's and master's theses

• Prix Doku-Zug award

1. 1Home - Stiftung Doku-Zugstiftungdokuzug.ch
2. 2Geschichte - Stiftung Doku-Zugstiftungdokuzug.ch
3. 3Wikidata Q132551277wikidata.org