Dear Elke, thanks so much for your translations! Dear Dr. Hedstrom, I just wanted you to know how helpful your assistance has been in helping me search for my family. Keep in mind that the ability to read old German script is rare. 2. How was I ever going to read it? Transcription and Translation. Contact Me. The blackletter lines are broken up; that is, their forms contain many angles when compared to the curves of the Antiqua (common) typefaces modeled after antique Roman square capitals and Carolingian minuscule. For a free estimate of the translation costs involved, please email me or mail me a copy of your document(s). And in the old German script! Kurrent, commonly known as Old German Script, orginated from a gothic cursive in the early 16th Century.Because of its widespread use in the Middle Ages, it developed into various styles. : Then a few months later, four posters are spotted around town, conspicuously written in an old German script. All nouns are classified as masculine, feminine, or neuter. But often, the old handwriting can be impossible to read. My name is Annette Hübner. In 2006 one of my translation clients asked if I could read old German handwriting. Rates depend on the time it takes me to decipher, transcribe, and translate a document. About 60 personal letters and postcards spanning the years 1850 - 1877 written by relatives in Germany to their relatives in Texas. This script was also used for North American German-language documents, such as Birth and Death records, Diaries -- particularly those of the Moravian Missions, and documents written by Menonites. Online Translator (German, … Dependant on the estimate of time you have been given by Dr. Elke, your translations will arrive via email. If your local school offers German, ask the teacher if he / she could translate for you. Links to numerous sites. She had some correspondence from the nineteenth century, from her husband's immigrant ancestors, that she wanted transcribed and translated as a Christmas present for him. Correspond Easily with German Family and Friends. Google's free service instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages. Each letter has an upper case version first followed by a lower case. Language translate translation translations - Don Watson. Script means handwritten; Print means printed or typed. Use the free DeepL Translator to translate your texts with the best machine translation available, powered by DeepL’s world-leading neural network technology. Payment will be due at that time. Discover German History through Village Archives. Get those mysterious documents translated and get on with your Genealogical Research! Documents written in the Old German Handwriting or printed in “Fraktur” Typeface: Church and Civil records, old family letters, diaries, emigration records, and other items of genealogical interest. I came to a screeching halt. You may have inherited a German document … 2. Communicate accurately with village archives, businesses, and other associations. And that's if you can read German at all! Old German Gothic Handwriting. Translator of Old German Script. Sütterlinschrift (Sütterlin script), or Sütterlin for short, is the last widely used form of old German black-letter handwriting. Written in old German scripts such as ‘Suetterlin’ or ‘German Kurrent script’, their exciting content usually remains hidden to today’s curious readers. Kurrent (German: [kʊˈʁɛnt]) is an old form of German-language handwriting based on late medieval cursive writing, also known as Kurrentschrift, deutsche Schrift ("German script") and German cursive. Dr. Elke was born in East Prussia, Germany and grew up in Wolfenbüttel, Niedersachsen, Germany after her family was forced to leave East Prussia at the end of World War II. Variant Forms of Words In German, as in English, the forms of some wor… A short handy reference guide with an alphabet, reading tips, and record samples is found here. Examples of upper and lower case writing. An updated version of Kurrent calledSütterlin was developed in the early 20th Century, and was used and taught in German schools until the government changed it todeutsche Normalschrif… You need someone who can read the script, which varied greatly over the years, and who can then translate it. Although I can pick out names, the details that you can provide give me new information and tell me more about their professions, homes, illnesses - their lives! Write letters and emails back and forth to relatives and colleagues abroad with correct transciptions. Kurrent script, source: Wikimedia Commons. See how they can help your German family history. German words for persons, places, and things (nouns) are always capitalized. Even if you don't speak or read German, however, you can still make sense of most genealogical documents found in Germany with the understanding of a few key German words.Common English genealogy terms, including record types, events, dates, and relationships are listed here, along with German words with similar meanings, such as words commonly used in Germany to indicate … Currently supported languages are English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese. 3. Please also include your phone number and a few options for the best time for a phone call. Determine when your relatives were born, where they lived, and what they did for work. Over the history of its use into the first part of the 20th century, many … Briefly describe your translation project. Intrigued, I plunged in, and before me unfolded a vivid description of immigrant life in Brooklyn and Chicago, as well as the daily life of relatives back home in Germany. Old German Script and Print Transcription and Translation Services. All Rights Reserved. You are so dedicated and thorough in all you do. Handwritten documents were composed in cursive using a type of script known as blackletter. Rates. Fraktur (German: [fʁakˈtuːɐ̯] ()) is a calligraphic hand of the Latin alphabet and any of several blackletter typefaces derived from this hand. These documents can be translated and explained to you. The writing is a standard form of the earlier and very different chancery writing which was … My Services Expert translation of Old German documents, handwritten or printed in Sütterlin, Fraktur or Kurrent script. If you have any documents in old German script, or have looked at any online, you know how daunting it can be to try to decipher and understand what is on the page. Translation of modern print, Gothic printed script, and old script when legible. Before the 1940s, most records in German-speaking areas (as well as surname books, newspapers, journals and gazetteers) used a Gothic font called Fraktur. - Old German Script Translations - German History including Medieval European History - Medieval German - German Jewish and Medieval European Jewish History 1. elkehedstrom@att.net. Old German Script Translations. References: Fractur Kurrent Suetterlin Abbreviated descriptions were provided by Ted Russell Much appreciated! Today, only a few can translate and understand the old German script. Suetterlin (Sütterlinschrift) was devised by Ludwig Sütterlin as an easier script to write than Kurrent. But in Germany, the script used in handwriting has changed dramatically. For your German genealogical research, Dr. Elke Hedstrom translates Old German Village and family histories. ​I grew up in Lübeck, Germany, and then emigrated to the Bay Area of California. Documents written in the Old German Handwriting or printed in “Fraktur” Typeface: Church and Civil records, old family letters, diaries, emigration records, and other items of genealogical interest. Old texts require a translator who is familiar with the language and style of ages past, and also with the different types of … For a free estimate of the translation costs involved and the best times to reach you, please email me here: ©2020 by Dr. Elke Hedstrom. : Die Süttterlinstube Hamburg hat mehrere hundert Briefe und andere Dokumente aus der Sütterlinschrift ins lateinische Alphabet transkribiert. Excitedly I put the film in the reader and cranked away. Suetterlin script: a script, created by the Berlin graphic artist Ludwig Sütterlin (1865-1917), which was taught from 1915 to 1941 in German schools. A list of given names with handwritten examples from records is found here: German given names handwritin… In 1964, she received her Bachelor's degree in Education and History from the Pädagogische Hochschule ("Kant Hochschule") in Braunschweig, Niedersachsen, Germany. For examples of old German Gothic handwriting see the PDF file Handwriting Guide: German Gothic. In the United States, handwriting hasn't changed much in the last 200 years. Although “s” can be quite tricky, as there are at least three different ways to … 1. Common German Script reading problems from Legacy webinars "Deciphering German Script" by Gail S. Blankenau, Genealogist This is the old German Scripth alphabet. This Kurrent script, sometimes simply called “Old German Script” or “German cursive”, was used into the first part of the 20th century in all German speaking countries and, with a few changes, also in Scandinavia. I’d like to offer to translate your old, handwritten German documents into modern script and summarize them for you in English. After receiving my master's degree in German literature from UC Berkeley, I taught German for twenty years. The classic Kurrent script, with its many sharp angles, straight lines, and abrupt changes in direction, was hard to write. Here, she was able to further her education, earning a Ph.D. in German Language and Literature from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, and a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, while teaching German part-time at various universities and junior colleges. Discovery for you and your future generations. High resolution digital documents are best sent as attachments via email and not embedded. “There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children – one is roots, and the other, wings.”. Since 1997 I have been a German-English translator. The gender of a noun is indicated by der (masculine), die (feminine), and das (neuter), which translates as "the." Old German Handschrift (handwriting), known as die Kurrentschrift orKurrent for short in German, but also known simply as die alte deutsche Schrift (‘Old German script’), was closely modelled on the handwriting used in das Mittelalter(medieval times). Later, due to the acceptance of a standard cursive form by many European chancellories, the … Need help reading or translating German genealogical documents? Old German Scripts and Fonts. I thank you for your guidance and interpretations; without them, I would still be looking in a haystack for that needle! Fully bilingual in English and German, fluent in French Accredited by The American Translators Association Recipient, 1995 Excellence in German Translation Award, University of Houston, Houston, Texas. Translation of all Genealogy Records, including Church Records, Civil Records, Jewish Records, Handwritten and Typed Letters, Wills, Emigration Records, Book Excerpts. But you absolutely have to be able to read some things, as German church book records are one of the main ways to follow your family line back and verify that you have found the right village. I found this project so rewarding that I began to specialize in English translation of old German script.​. Notoriously difficult to read, the Fraktur form of blackletter has been giving German genealogy researchers fits for centuries. These online resources are so good, even the experts use them! Old German Translation Translation of Old German Script to English German-English Translation Service Dear Visitor, I find it fascinating and rewarding to help people with old German handwriting they need transcribed to modern German or translated to English. Old documents and contemporary documents of our ancestors from past centuries remain an unencrypted secret. Shortly afterwards, she emigrated to the United States. German Translation, Specializing in Genealogy and Old German Handwriting and Script, inc. Kurrent and Suetterlin. It is also called the "the German handwriting". A lot of invaluable genealogical and family history information can be found in Village Linege books, address books and Tax Records. Until the first part of the 20th century, a handwriting was used in Germany that looks very different from today’s cursive. It was German! I marvel at your patience and persistence and the gift you have given us. Letters from your ancestors can … For many years I have been dealing with old German scripts and the transcription of these documents into our modern script and language. Letters and emails to and from family and friends in Gemany. FamilySearch ; Old German Handwritten Scripts ; The Old German Handwriting ; Old German Script. Births, confirmations, marriages, deaths entries for the years 1791 to 1875 from a church book in Lower Saxony. If there are many files, they can also be sent with Dropbox. This in turn greatly depends on the quality of the material, the size of the project and, most importantly, the clarity of writing. Using German Church Records By Elsie Saar When I started my German research, I ordered a microfilm from the LDS Family History Center for the Protestant church of my father’s hometown. Numerous personal letters from 1939 to 1942 written by a German Jewish woman to her two oldest children she managed to send to safety in America in 1939 while she and her youngest daughter perished in a German concentration camp. Dr. Elke will get back to you to coordinate a phone call to learn about your project and discuss it in more detail. These top German translation websites will help you identify and translate old German letters, words, abbreviations, street names and occupations. Word endings may vary, depending on the way the words are used in the sentence. Like oral history, these personal letters opened up a rich view of the human side of the past, making them fascinating reading. Hello! I know that your work transcribing and translating other families' material has made an unbelievable impact on so very many families. This classification is called gender. As a diploma documentalist, I am professionally involved in this topic. Dr. … in your search for genealogical information. My name is Rita Dachner. When working with a translator send/email only a copy of the original document, not the original. It was standard in Prussian schools by 1915, and in virtually all German schools by 1934. All Types of German Translation Available. Also, accurate correspondence to and from German archives, churches, libraries, etc. Sütterlinstube Hamburg has transcribed several hundred letters and other documents from old German script to the Latin alphabet. Love your letter “S”. For many of us we put off working on our German ancestors because we are afraid of having to read the Old German script, chicken scratch we say! Old German gothic handwriting and print are very different from the Roman script most English- speaking genealogists use. Translate letters to and from Germany, documents, certificates, newspaper articles, books, pamphlets, etc., from German to English and vice-versa.