The around 6,000 audio files from 207 Lower Bavarian and 22 Czech locations have been compiled and academically evaluated by the chair for German linguistics of the University of Passau within the framework of various linguistic-geographical projects in the course of several years. The Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (BSB) has integrated the audio files into 32 digital maps, thereby making the exciting service accessible to the public via Bayerische Landesbibliothek Online, and additionally ensuring the long-time archiving of the recordings.

Klaus Ceynowa, Director General of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek: "The speaking linguistic atlases are among the most popular digital services of Bayerische Landesbibliothek Online. We are pleased that we can now expand the service again by the linguistic atlas of Lower Bavaria, providing an even better experience of the large bandwidth of Bavarian dialects on a regional level. The look over the border to the Bohemian Forest region is particularly interesting."

Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Harnisch, holder of the chair for German linguistics at the University of Passau: "The first 'speaking linguistic atlas' of Bavaria has been compiled at the University of Passau as of the end of the 1990s. We appreciate being able to present the audio files recorded in the process on a further platform now, beyond our CD-ROMs."

The speaking linguistic atlas of Bavaria started in 2006 as the first audio project of the Bayerische Landesbibliothek Online (BLO). The digital service has been developed further continuously since then and expanded by further regions of Bavaria.

Press release for download
Press release  (in German)  (PDF, 72 KB)

Contacts

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek:
Dr. Stephan Kellner
Division Bavarica
Phone:  +49 89 28638-2278
stephan.kellner@bsb-muenchen.de

University of Passau:
Katrina Jordan
Department of Communication and Marketing
Public Relations Head Office
Phone:  +49 851 509-1439
katrin.jordan@uni-passau.de

About the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek:
Founded in 1558 by Duke Albrecht V, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek is an international research library of world renown. With over 10.3 million volumes, around 59,000 current journals in electronic and printed form and almost 131,000 manuscripts, the library ranks among the world's most important centers of knowledge and heritage institutions. With 1.2 million digitized works, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek holds the largest digital data stock of all German libraries. The library offers a broad range of services in the field of innovative digital use scenarios.

About the University of Passau:
Opened in 1978 as the first university in Lower Bavaria, the University of Passau epitomises excellent research and innovative teaching. Cosmopolitanism and diversity go hand in hand on the campus near the borders to Austria and the Czech Republic: At the internationally oriented university, 12,000 young people from 100 nations are currently enrolled as students and working as researchers.