Abstract
In 1948 the then 32 year old Finnish philosopher Georg Henrik von Wright (1916-2003) succeeded Ludwig Wittgenstein as professor of philosophy at Cambridge. When Wittgenstein died in 1951 Elisabeth Anscombe, Rush Rhees and Georg Henrik von Wright became the executors of Wittgenstein’s literary estate.
Von Wright played a major role in the editing and publishing of Wittgenstein’s work for over fifty years. In the course of his work as a literary executor von Wright founded the Wittgenstein Archives at the University of Helsinki. The Archives was frequently used by Wittgenstein scholars during von Wright’s lifetime. After his death the Archives has been enriched with new material such as early versions of published works by von Wright, his unpublished manuscripts and lectures, and a large collection of letters to and from von Wright related to the editing and publication of Wittgenstein’s Nachlass. There is now also a small section for Wittgenstein and von Wright memorabilia. In 2009 the Archives was renamed “The von Wright and Wittgenstein Archives” (WWA) and reopened. Its holdings are again wholly accessible on location to visiting researchers.WWA also seeks to provide increasing access to its material through its website.
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