‘When the time comes, I want to take the reins’
Correct AI transcriptions of Ulrich Wille's letters to his wife Clara
Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, Ulrich Wille (1848-1925) was appointed General of the Swiss Army on 3 August 1914. Although Parliament initially favoured Theophil Sprecher von Bernegg, the Federal Council prevailed with its support for Ulrich Wille. In letters to his wife Clara Wille (1851-1946), Wille reported on the explosive election: ‘Everything is all right now, but the hours from 5 to 8 o'clock were not very pleasant for me!’
The Zentralbibliothek Zürich invites you to take part in the transcription of selected letters from Ulrich to Clara Wille. The 120 letters date from the period from 3 August 1914 to 31 March 1915 and provide an insight into Wille's personal view of the political and military developments at the beginning of the First World War, as well as into the couple's relationship.
The correspondence is part of the Wille family archive, which is part of the ZB's holdings and has been accessible on site since the beginning of 2025. The first digital copies of the extensive correspondence, which spans the years 1875 to 1924, are available on the e-manuscripta.ch platform. Raw transcriptions of the 120 selected letters are being produced using the transcription software Transkribus. We invite you to correct and optimise the raw transcriptions with the help of the e-manuscripta transcription tool. The results of your work will be published online on the platform. Your contribution will help to make historical sources more accessible.
The campaign is part of the Zurich Central Library's strategic focus on Citizen Science.
Instruction
This video tutorial provides an introduction to the basics of the transcription tool on e-manuscripta.ch.
This video tutorial provides an introduction to working with the e-manuscripta.ch editor.
In the PDF file ‘Important principles for working with the new editor’, you will find further information on editing the raw transcriptions of Ulrich Wille's letters.
Ulrich Wille's correspondence
Ulrich Wille (1848–1925)
Ulrich Wille was born in Hamburg on 5 April 1848. Due to political pressure, the Wille family moved to Switzerland in 1851. After studying law, Wille embarked on a military career. He reformed the Swiss military along the lines of the Prussian-German model, which earned him both criticism and admiration. After his appointment as commander-in-chief of the army, he regularly wrote letters to Clara from his headquarters at the Hotel Bellevue in Bern about his everyday life as a general and the events of the war.
Clara Wille-von Bismarck (1851–1946)
Clara Wille was born on 12 December 1851 as Countess von Bismarck and daughter of the Württemberg Lieutenant General Friedrich Wilhelm von Bismarck. She married Ulrich Wille in 1872 and brought important social and political connections into the marriage. Together with the future general, she had five children and cultivated the Wille family network, which extended into politically and culturally influential circles.
Progress
Ranking
The ranking is updated regularly. Version dated: 8. December 2025
Username | Number of pages |
Bigler, Niklaus | 76 |
Wille, Georg | 61 |
Hausheer, Yvonne | 45 |
Hertach, Fritz | 38 |
Strassmann, Ruth | 18 |
Nussli, Natalie | 17 |
Hugelshofer, Nina | 11 |
Hurt, Jacqueline | 11 |
Benz, Bruno | 6 |
Hauenstein, Hansueli | 6 |
Wernli, Monika | 5 |
Geser, Sarah | 4 |
Muff, Peter | 2 |
| Total | 300 |
Additionally, there are edits made by individuals who wish to remain anonymous.
Event
On Saturday, 13 September 2025, we held a workshop on correcting correspondence together in Seminar Room B of the Zentralbibliothek Zürich.
Contact
Do you have any questions/comments about the project? Get in touch with us! We are happy to help you.
Maxi Weibel