Dodis - Diplomatische Dokumente der Schweiz

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Dodis - Diplomatische Dokumente der Schweiz

Die Forschungsstelle Diplomatische Dokumente der Schweiz (Dodis) ist ein Institut der Schweizerischen Akademie der Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften.

Die Internet-Datenbank Dodis ermöglicht – in Ergänzung zur herkömmlichen Aktenedition – den freien Zugang zu einer grossen Anzahl von digitalisierten Dokumenten. Sie liefert auch eine Fülle von Informationen zu in- und ausländischen Personen und Organisationen, die in der 1945-1989 aussenpolitisch aktiv waren. Es werden auch thematische Dossiers zur Verfügung gestellt.

07/09/2026

We met up again in Bern at and once more produced a joint volume of international diplomatic documents on a highly topical historical subject (www.dodis.ch/q30). But the numerous speeches and discussions led to much more than that. We learn a lot from each other. The Dodis team would like to thank you all most deeply for coming and for your valuable contributions. Editors of diplomatic documents are family, and we look forward to our next get-together!

Photographs: Federal Department of Foreign Affairs/Pascal Lauener (1) and www.angelinaimboden.ch (2–8) respectively.

04/09/2026

Following the public sessions, we editors are back amongst ourselves this afternoon at . In the progress reports, our esteemed colleagues report on the achievements and challenges of their national projects.

Many thanks to Justine Greenwood (Australia), Brendan Kelly (Canada), Sylvie Le Clech (France), Tim Geiger (Germany), Georgios Polydorakis (Greece), Miruko Atsuta (Japan), Flurina Felix (Switzerland) and John Powers (USA) for sharing their inspiring insights and expertise with us.

It is always reassuring to realise, at the International Conferences of Editors of Diplomatic Documents, that there are colleagues and friends out there in the world who share our experiences, concerns and complexities, but also our successful approaches and good practices – and, most importantly, our enthusiasm for what we do.

Photographs: www.angelinaimboden.ch

04/09/2026

On the second day of our Conference of Editors of Diplomatic Documents , we are focusing on the technical aspects of our editorial work, a field that is undergoing spectacular change as a result of artificial intelligence . Today’s venue is the venerable Chamber of the Grand Council of the Kanton Bern in the Town Hall, where Thomas Moser gave us a warm welcome.

At the start of the session, John Powers showed us the many ways in which has implemented AI tools. We are all looking forward to the new tool that will display a scan right next to the text within the Oxygen XML Editor. Tobias Steiner presented his fascinating research using Dodis documents to develop AI tools, including a chatbot and tools for generating better summaries. Maurizio Rossi and Lena Heizmann gave us insights into the Dodis ecosystem.

The morning culminated in the launch of the Dodis Tool, the Swiss Army Knife for diplomatic documents: https://tool.dodis.ch/info/

Photographs: www.angelinaimboden.ch

04/09/2026

Yesterday afternoon, our International Committee of Editors of Diplomatic Documents experienced something very special: at , for the first time in our history, we held two sessions that were open to the diplomatic corps and the general public. Our collaboration with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, which elevated our editors’ meeting to the status of the third of four thematic conferences organised by the Swiss Chairpersonship of the OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in 2026, made this wonderful and inspiring event possible.

In the auditorium of the Universität Bern and via livestream, around 300 people listened to the talks given by Nicolas Badalassi on France’s role in the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and by Antonio Varsori on Italy’s stance towards the CSCE. Michael Kennedy told us about Ireland’s evolving attitude towards the CSCE, and Thomas Bürgisser discussed how Switzerland operated within the CSCE’s "Geneva Laboratory" and how this, in turn, transformed the country itself.

The panel was opened by Dodis Director Sacha Zala and Ambassador Muriel Peneveyre. The session was chaired by the President of the Dodis Scientific Advisory Board, Madeleine Herren. In case you missed it, you can watch the session here: www.youtube.com/live/o62RRVhQSQQ.

The following high-level segment of the Chairpersonship’s conference, “From Geneva to Helsinki: Founding Process and Core Purpose of the OSCE”, was opened by the host, Rector Virginia Richter, and by the President of the National Council Pierre-André Page, Conseiller National. In his historic keynote speech, Sacha Zala highlighted the successes achieved through sustained dialogue as set out in the Helsinki Final Act, and emphasised that democratic societies depend on an open and critical engagement with their history.

This was followed by a highly interesting panel discussion, moderated by Daniel Möckli, featuring OSCE Secretary-General Feridun Sinirlioğlu and former senior Italian diplomat Umberto Vattani, who discussed what the achievements of the CSCE Final Act still mean for Europe in the face of today’s immense security challenges. In conclusion, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ignazio Cassis underlined in his address that the history of the Helsinki Process offers lessons that remain highly relevant in today’s fractured geopolitical environment. You can find it all here: www.youtube.com/live/iBfeQ2Wpy8Q.

In the evening, the conference participants gathered once again at the Schwellenmätteli Restaurants for a get-together, where they were warmly welcomed by State Secretary Alexandre Fasel, the Mayor of Bern, Marieke Kruit, and Cantonal Councillor Reto Müller. It was a delightful way to round off an eventful day on the banks of the Aare.

Photographs: Pierre-Yves Massot - photographe (Thanks to Schweizerische Akademie der Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften).

03/09/2026

And off we go with . A very warm welcome to all delegations here at the Universität Bern!

Following the reception held as part of the conference yesterday evening, we began our programme of work and listened to presentations by Helena Pinto Janeiro and Melissa Woods Nelson, on “DiploDocWomen” and “Partners and Spouses in Diplomacy” respectively.

Our associate researcher, Liliane Stadler, chaired the first two sessions on the history of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), which is the thematic focus of our conference and the subject of our joint ICEDD publication “Geneva, Helsinki, and the Making of the CSCE. International Diplomatic Documents on the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 1969–1975” (www.dodis.ch/q30).

In Session I, Vincent Genin, represented by Julien Wolff, gave us an insight into Belgium’s CSCE policy, whilst Piotr Długołęcki spoke about Poland’s participation in the CSCE process. In Session II, Richard Smith presented the British stance on the CSCE. Sophie Lange raised the issue of environmental protection within the CSCE process in East and West Germany. Finally, Michal Saft spoke about Israel’s specific struggles within the CSCE.

This afternoon at 2 pm, the public part of the conference starts, with Sacha Zala, Muriel Peneveyre (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs), and historical inputs by Nicolas Badalassi, Antonio Varsori, Michael Kennedy and Thomas Bürgisser taking part in Session III.
➡️ If you can’t be there, watch the LIVESTREAM: https://lnkd.in/eHgaqrpM

At 5.00 pm, Session IV, “From History to the Present Day”, begins with opening addresses by Rector Virginia Richter and President of the National Council Pierre-André Page, Conseiller National. Dodis Director Sacha Zala will deliver a historical keynote before the discussion between former senior Italian diplomat Umberto Vattani and Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Secretary-General of the OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, moderated by Daniel Möckli. The event will then culminate in closing remarks by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for 2026.
➡️ And here’s the LIVESTREAM: https://lnkd.in/eYct7bgK

Photographs: www.angelinaimboden.ch

31/08/2026

And here comes the next event: The print version of our joint edition, “Geneva, Helsinki, and the Making of the CSCE”, has arrived, just in time for its presentation at the public session of our 18th International Conference of Editors of Diplomatic Documents ( ) this Thursday, 3 September, at Universität Bern ( 👉 dodis.ch/W31216).

Dodis historians Christian Bracher, Thomas Bürgisser and Janick Rüttimann can hardly wait to hand the book over to our fellow editors, who will be arriving in Bern on Wednesday. Thank you all in advance for your valuable contribution to this truly multilateral collaboration on the creation of this unprecedented edition on the prehistory of the OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

For those who’d like to have a sneak peek: as is always the case with Dodis, this volume can also be downloaded as a PDF and as an eBook under an open-access licence: www.dodis.ch/q30. See you very soon guys! 🎉

29/08/2026

Yesterday, at the Centennial Conference of the Comité International des Sciences Historiques in Leipzig, the editors presented the Dodis sourcebook on the history of the CISH. Lila Zeller and the newly elected CISH President, Sacha Zala, have thus made available hundreds of documents that trace the history of the network of historians since its foundation in Geneva in 1926.

All documents are freely available on the Dodis online database; the book itself can be downloaded as a PDF or in eBook formats under an open-access licence, or ordered as a print-on-demand copy: www.dodis.ch/q29. We congratulate the proud editors and thank Dodis historian Christian Bracher (on the right) for his dedicated assistance with the publication process.

28/08/2026

Da sind wir jetzt aber natürlich schon mächtig stolz: Il nostro direttore Sacha Zala wurde gestern an der 💯 Jubiläumskonferenz in Leipzig von der Generalversammlung zum Präsidenten des Comité International des Sciences Historiques gewählt. 🥳
Herzliche Gratulation, Sacha! 🎉

dodis.ch/W31255

26/08/2026

Dodis goes ... dodis.ch/G13186

24/08/2026

It’s a very special Quaderno di Dodis that we recently had the pleasure of : A collection of documents on the history of the Comité International des Sciences Historiques, edited by Sacha Zala and Lila Zeller. The CISH is marking its 100th anniversary with its Centennial Conference in Leipzig, 26–30 August 2026.

Dodis staff members Christian Bracher (left) and Janick Rüttimann from the editorial office were honoured to be part of this historic endeavour and are delighted to hold the fruits of their labour in their hands now. The book can be downloaded as a PDF or e-book, or ordered as a print-on-demand copy, at www.dodis.ch/q29.

The copies are now on their way to Leipzig, where they will be officially unveiled on 28 August. Dodis wishes the "Oecumene of Historians" a very happy celebration and another inspiring 100 years! 🎉 💯 🥳

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