Wit­tgen­stein Nachlass

What is Wittgenstein’s Nachlass?

Wittgenstein’s Nachlass is the digital collection of all Ludwig Wittgenstein’s unpublished handwritten and typescript works, dictated texts and most of his notebooks.

When he died in 1951, Ludwig Wittgenstein left a philosophical Nachlass of about 20,000 pages. Apart from Tractatus, these papers were unpublished and largely unknown at the time.

The collection was catalogued by G. H. von Wright in the book "The Wittgenstein Papers" from 1969 and later as a chapter with the same title in the book "Wittgenstein" from 1982. This catalogue is still the standard reference when discussing the Nachlass.

The approximately 20,000 pages are divided into three numbered groups that do not follow chronological order:

• 101–182 refer to handwritten texts, primarily notebooks and bound volumes
• 201–245 refer to typescript texts, often dictated by Wittgenstein based on the handwritten material
• 301–311 refer to dictated texts addressed to friends and students, for example, in connection with lectures and seminars

In the introduction to Wittgenstein’s Nachlass you can read more about the history, structure and numbering of the catalogue.

Who was Wittgenstein?

Ludwig Wittgenstein is considered one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century and has had a profound impact on analytical philosophy. His works – from Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus to Philosophical Investigations – have shaped modern thinking about language, logic, knowledge and culture.

When is this collection useful?

The collection allows students and researchers to explore Wittgenstein’s ideas in their original form, often in handwritten drafts, notes and revisions. It is a primary source for Wittgenstein’s work.