Wittgenstein 1918 and 1919

1918 HOCHREIT & OBERALM

The war saved my life; I don’t know what I’d have done without it.

Ludwig Wittgenstein in conversation with his nephew Felix Salzer, 1930s

Wittgenstein’s military card, 1918

First page of the so-called Engelmann Typescript from August 1918. Wittgenstein had this typescript with him during his war captivity and worked on it. It is also the model for the Tractatus editions by Wilhelm Ostwald 1921 and Kegan Paul 1922.

In August 1918 Wittgenstein dictates the final version of the Tractatus. The long search for a publisher begins.

1919 PRISONER OF WAR IN CASSINO

I‘ve written a book called „Logisch-Philosophische Abhandlung“ containing all my work of the last 6 years. I believe I‘ve solved our problems finally. This may sound arrogant but I cann‘t help believing it. I finished the book in August 1918 & two month after was made Prigioniere.

Letter to Bertrand Russel, 13. March 1919

Cassino – police barracks, from 1916 prisoner of war camp, © Collezione Mauro Lottici

1919 KUNDMANNGASSE: TRAINING AS A PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER

I’m going to a Teachers’ Training College to become a teacher. So here I am sitting in a schoolroom again, which sound funnier than it is. In fact I find it terribly hard; I can no longer behave like a grammar school boy, and, funny as it sounds, the humiliation is so great for me that I often think I can hardly bear it!

Wittgenstein to Paul Engelmann, 25 September 1919

The schoolhouse in the Sophienbruckengasse (later Kundmanngasse) around 1900. On the lower right in the picture the entrance to the former teacher training institute.

A school class practice with teachers-in-training in the Kundmanngasse, 1902/03

Back to the Exhibition

Wittgenstein 1908 – 1912

Wittgenstein 1913 – 1914

Wittgenstein 1914 and 1915

Wittgenstein 1920 to 1922

Wittgenstein Tractatus