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Alfred Lameli: Was Wenker noch zu sagen hatte... Die unbekannten Teile des „Sprachatlas des Deutschen Reichs“

Previously unknown sections of the historic „Sprachatlas des Deutschen Reichs“ (Georg Wenker, 1897–1923) were recently discovered by the author in the Berlin State Library, consisting of an introduction to the atlas, explanations of individual maps, and hand-drafted maps. This article provides firstly a brief inventory and secondly an appraisal of the scholarly worth of the find. It is demonstrated that all of the material discovered helps shed new light onto the historical project and, further, reveals new facets of Wenker’s linguistic thinking. It becomes apparent that the linguistic atlas is in fact a different type of atlas than has previously been assumed. Finally, the article addresses the question of why the material remained unknown for over a century, tying its answer closely to various historical factors, many linked to the history of both the Marburg institute and that of the Berlin State Library during the twentieth century.