UNESCO Memory of the World Register: Nachlass Ludwig Wittgenstein

Philosophical Nachlass of Ludwig Wittgenstein

Documentary heritage submitted by Austria, Canada, Netherlands and the United Kingdom and recommended for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register in 2017.

© Mr G.M.H. van de Velde and Mrs E.B.B. van der Wolk–van de Velde ,Bertrand Russell Archives, McMaster University Library, Bodleian Library University of Oxford, Austrian National Library,Trinity College Library, Cambridge. Philosophical Nachlass of Ludwig Wittgenstein

The subject of this joint nomination is the complete philosophical Nachlass of Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951). His philosophical development from 1914 to the Tractatus and his continuous philosophical work from 1929 till the end of his life is documented in detail in his philosophical Nachlass. It was listed in a systematic and complete form in 1969 by Georg Henrik von Wright, his student and successor in his chair in Cambridge (“The Wittgenstein Papers” in: Philosophical Review Vol 78,4.1969, p 483-503). Von Wrights Nachlass index contains 83 manuscripts, 45 typescripts an 11 dictations, all together about 20.000 pages. Based on von Wright’s list Wittgenstein’s Nachlass is nominated in its entirety (not including his letters). In 2000 an electronic edition was published by the Wittgenstein Archives at Bergen (No): Wittgenstein’s Nachlass. The Bergen Electronic Edition. Oxford University Press, University of Bergen, The Wittgenstein Trustees on 6 CDs.