Of all the original documents Paul Klee’s handwritten manuscripts are the most outstanding: The diaries written in black wax-cloth jotters, his complete catalogue of works, a copybook of poems, and the original handwritten Pädagogische Skizzenbuch (Pedagogical Sketchbook) and his Bildnerische Formenlehre (Theory of Pictorial Forms). The Pedagogical Estate comprising more than 3,000 pages is also an important part. It consists of the notes Paul Klee used to prepare his lectures at the Bauhaus, notes in which he gave an account of theoretical questions of pictorial design. Some of the original documents have already been published, for instance the diaries, the poems and the theoretical writings; others are part of future publication projects.

The Archive expects to receive significant new additions over the next few years, with the Klee family’s archive comprising the original correspondence of Paul, Lily, Felix, Hans, Ida and Mathilde Klee, as well as the original library, which has preserved at least part of the books once owned by Paul Klee himself. This will provide further insight into his literary sources and the inspiration for his artistic work. The family archive also includes such delightful and exceptional objects as Klee’s herbarium, his collection of travel souvenirs, and his schoolbooks and jotters, filled with his marginal notes and comments.

The archive of the Bürgi family in Bern, which is also to be incorporated soon, includes documents on the collecting activities of the Bürgi family and its friendship with Paul and Lily Klee. The activities of Lily Klee and the Klee-Gesellschaft (Klee Society) of 1946–1952 are also documented here. Many utensils from his artist’s studio have also been preserved, for instance paint tubes, paintbrushes and mixing pots, providing valuable insights for the research into Klee’s painting technique.