Über die Sprache der Ostgoten in Italien

Published in 1891 by K. J. Trübner in Strassburg, 'Über die Sprache der Ostgoten in Italien' serves as a rigorous philological study by Ferdinand Wrede. The work emerged during a period of intense scholarly interest in Germanic linguistics and historical grammar, specifically focusing on the linguistic remnants left by the Ostrogoths during their rule in Italy. Wrede, who would later become a prominent figure in the field of German dialectology, approached the subject as a doctoral dissertation that sought to categorize the linguistic shifts observed in the surviving records of the Gothic language in a Roman context.

The text is noted for its meticulous analytical approach, characteristic of the German historical-philological school of the late 19th century. Wrede utilized the sparse epigraphic and literary evidence available at the time to reconstruct the phonetic and structural evolution of the Ostrogothic dialect. While highly specialized, the work was well-regarded by contemporaries in the academic community for its contribution to understanding how Gothic speakers adapted their native language during their settlement in the Italian peninsula, solidifying Wrede's reputation as a scholar of rigorous textual criticism.