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of the first variety gorge themselves, not—as in the Stuttgart System 1785ff. and the
Phenomenology of Spirit
, its first great product
24
—to suppress, but rather to anchor the
inspiration of the thought in the “sea of scholarship.”
25
The medium that first made this
combinatorial quotation possible is not the quill or the typewriter, but rather the “paper
machine,” and not in a trivial sense. Luhmann: “In this respect, I work like a computer,
which can also be creative in the sense that it produces new results which were unfore-
seeable through the combination of data.”
26
Thus, the manual yet easily automated paper
processing with the heuristic label Bielefeld 1951ff. comes remarkably close to another
process already established in 1936: the paper machine.
27
It does not have individual
cards, but rather an infinitely long paper band, as well as strictly defined work instruc-
tions
28
and a read/write head,
29
and thus it becomes a universal machine, in order to
merge entirely into this breach in the history of data, office, and paper processing
introduced in 1937.
Potential possibilities for improving the Bielefeld 1951ff. recording system emerge
almost inevitably with the steady triumphant progress of the now universal paper
machine of 1937, which produces new computer generations and calculating speeds on
a quarterly basis. Logically, an electronic slip box allows one faster access to random
terms and likewise, in combination with logical connections, to never overlook—or
forget—character strings in the electronic resources. Thanks to hypertext, the idea for
which goes back to Vannevar Bush's thought-expanding machine Memex from 1945,
30
the formerly tediously annotated references can be traced and (automatically) con-
nected with an equally time-optimized strategy of click and rush.
31
However, even if Luhmann's method follows a clear algorithm, and he functions in
a certain sense as a computer, this is still a long way from a digital notebook or laptop.
For example, although Hegel's slip box in handy luggage format joined him for every
journey and all seven migrations to Berlin,
32
the many square meters of Luhmann's
wooden boxes prevent unlimited mobility and thus the possibility of accessing written
memory at all times. “H: [T]his card architecture and these box dimensions are massive,
aren't they? L: It is somewhat comprehensive, yes. H: A few meters. L:Yes, yes. H: . . .
and is the basis, so to speak, of your work. L: Yes. H: Without which . . . If one were
to take that from you, then it would be difficult. L: Yes, then it would be difficult.”
33
The communicative partner, thanks to whose indispensible help the theory achieves its
legendary productivity, remains in its usual place, in order to await there the questions
that are directed toward its wood. “Fred admires this systems theorist from Bielefeld
(from Biiiielefeld, I always say, while raising my eyebrows high).”
34
