In the general class of early type galaxies, the nature of the dwarf
ellipticals/dwarf spheroidal galaxies is puzzling: is there an
evolutionary link between them and dwarf irregulars, or do they
evolve along an own path, strongly influenced by interactions with
other more massive galaxies? Few data currently exist for
this class of objects.
In collaboration with R. Bender, U. Hopp and D. Thomas (Univ. of
Munich) we have obtained spectra of 10 dE in the Virgo Cluster at the Calar
Alto 3.5m telescope. These data will be analyzed to derive
the kinematical structure and the properties of the stellar
populations in these galaxies. In particular, we will
adress the question of their chemical properties:
do they share the 
-elements overabundance observed in luminous
ellipticals?
Are they consistent with chemical evolution models of disks
undergoing tidal stripping, or galactic winds? The comparison of the
chemical properties of dwarf spheroidals with those of other galaxy
types will allow us better locate this
class of objects in the general classification scheme.