SWISSRADIO.CH

Welcome back to swissradio.ch. What began in 2002 as a pioneering internet radio station has evolved into a lifelong mission to rescue, preserve, and broadcast the world's earliest sound recordings. Today, we are independent, re-energized, and building a brand-new digital archive that brings history back to life.

In August 2002, Swiss Internet Radio launched from Berlin under the name RadioCrazy Classical & Jazz powered by the historical private record collection of Swiss music historian Carl Flisch-Aghayan. Originally featuring a fully hosted program broadcast between Berlin and Dortmund, the station quickly gathered a passionate global audience.

As listenership soared, the shifting regulatory landscape and rising broadcasting fees from GEMA and GVL prompted a strategic relocation to Switzerland. This move laid the cornerstone for the Swiss Internet Radio Association (IG Schweizer Internetradio) in August 2004, an initiative that pioneered advocacy for amateur broadcasters in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Driven by a passion for open-access cultural heritage, the Public Domain Project was launched in 2009 — a historic initiative that even earned the support and sponsorship of Wikimedia Deutschland.

In 2019, founder Carl Flisch-Aghayan concluded his collaboration with his former foundation to focus entirely on building a completely new, private archive. Today, this independent collection houses a monumental assembly of the world's very first audio recordings, uniquely positioning it as one of the most comprehensive acoustic heritages in existence.

We noticed that thousands of you still visit swissradio.ch every single month, looking for the dedication and curation that started it all. We heard you. Out of love for the music and respect for our listeners, we are breathing new life into this domain. The journey continues — stay tuned for the relaunch of our broadcasts.

Since the age of five, my heart has beaten for the sounds of times gone by. What began as a childhood fascination has grown into one of the most significant private collections in recorded sound history. Over the decades, I have gathered and preserved around 28 tons of historical shellac records and rare wax cylinders, saving them from oblivion.

This monumental life's work is far more than just a private collection – it is an irreplaceable, living archive of our cultural history. However, to secure these treasures for the long term, store them professionally, and make them digitally accessible to the public, I cannot do it alone. We need your support.

Archiving & Protection: The delicate wax cylinders and heavy shellac records must be stored under optimal conditions to stop their degradation.

Digitization for Everyone: We aim to digitize these unique audio documents step-by-step, ensuring the music and voices of the past remain audible worldwide, forever.

Preserving Cultural Heritage: Your contribution rescues a piece of music and contemporary history from falling permanently silent.

Every donation helps carry this monumental life's work into the future. Become part of this rescue mission and help us keep the pioneer era of sound recording alive.

Thank you whole-heartedly for your generosity and support!