Abstract: A circuit arrangement for storing a text of characters and of combination characters composed of a plurality of characters has the characters assigned code words which can be input into a working memory. The working memory contains a text memory in which the code words of the characters, and possibly the code words of a character of the combination of characters of a given portion of a text, can be stored in the form of primary groups and in which, where applicable, the other characters of the combination characters can be stored by hierarchically classified subsidiary groups. The working memory contains an assignment memory for storing items of assignment data which are associated with the primary groups and the subsidiary groups and which indicate the position and number of the character positions of each primary group and of the subsidiary groups.