The invention relates to a method for reading data from a semiconductor memory, said method comprising the following steps in this order: providing at least one first memory bank and at least one shadow memory bank which are each designed to store a multiplicity of binary data items, the same data as in the first memory bank being stored in the shadow memory bank; receiving a command for reading data which are to be read from the first memory bank; utilizing a state checking device of the semiconductor memory to check whether the first memory bank is in an open memory bank state, and, if the first memory bank is in the open memory bank state, reading the data which are to be read from the at least one shadow memory bank, and, if the first memory bank is not in the open memory bank state, reading the data which are to be read from the first memory bank, the open memory state being such a memory state of the memory bank which does not allow the data which are to be read to be read without previously closing an open word line of the memory bank. The invention also relates to a corresponding semiconductor memory.