A ferroelectric liquid crystal display having a matrix of ferroelectric liquid crystal elements and nonlinear elements having a diode characteristic in which the liquid crystal elements are connected in series with the nonlinear elements. The first substrate member comprises (a) a transparent first substrate having an insulating surface, (b) a plurality of m.times.n (m>1, n>1) of rectangular transparent conductive layers C.sub.11 to C.sub.1n, C.sub.21 to C.sub.2n, . . . C.sub.m1 to C.sub.mn arranged on the substrate in a matrix form on the first substrate, (c) a layer member A.sub.ij formed on the conductive layer C.sub.ij (where i=1, 2 . . . m and j=1, 2 . . . n) and (d) a stripe-like conductive layer F.sub.i extending in the row direction and making contact with layer member A.sub.i1 to A.sub.in on the side opposite from the conductive layer C.sub.i1 to C.sub.in, wherein the opposing side surfaces a and a' of the layer member A.sub.ij defining is length are substantially aligned with the opposing side surfaces b and b' of the conductive layer C.sub.ij defining its width, respectively, and wherein the opposing side surface b and b' of the layer member A.sub.ij defining its width are substantially aligned with the opposing side surfaces b and b' of the conductive layer F.sub.i defining its width, respectively. The layer member A.sub.ij may be a laminate layer of a first nontransparent conductive layer, non-single-crystal semiconductor layer member or thin insulating layer which permits passage therethrough of tunnel current and a second nontransparent conductive layer.