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Research in Other Countries => Europe => Europe Resources & Offers => Topic started by: Berlin-Bob on Thursday 23 August 07 17:01 BST (UK)

Title: Deciphering german handwriting
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Thursday 23 August 07 17:01 BST (UK)

The most common 19th. century german handwriting style is called Kurrent


This is how it looks:

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Deutsche_Kurrentschrift.jpg/524px-Deutsche_Kurrentschrift.jpg)

For a larger version of this image,
- click on http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_Kurrentschrift
- click on this image on the right
- double click on the resulting image, or on the link below it
  Version in höherer Auflösung (1633 × 1869 Pixel, Dateigröße: 334 KB, MIME-Typ: image/jpeg)

Bob

Title: Re: Deciphering german handwriting
Post by: aghadowey on Thursday 23 August 07 19:09 BST (UK)

Thanks for the handwriting guide- have bookmarked it now but unfortunately my relatives had more challenging writing!

Title: Re: Deciphering german handwriting
Post by: Roli on Friday 30 November 07 12:43 GMT (UK)

I found this comparison chart between Modern, Fraktur, Sutterlin and Kurrent styles which may be useful

Title: Re: Deciphering german handwriting
Post by: aghadowey on Friday 30 November 07 14:28 GMT (UK)

Fantastic chart Roli- have just printed it out and will see if I can decipher more old documents with it.

Title: Re: Deciphering german handwriting
Post by: Roli on Friday 30 November 07 17:19 GMT (UK)

Thanks for that, Aghadowey. I hope you find it useful.
If you want some practice !!!!  8) I would like to know especially the names of my great-grandfather and great-grandmother.  So far members have kindly suggested August or Wenzel for him, and Theresa or Josefina or Josefine for her. The relevant text can be found on my post "Old German Script" in the "Immigrants Section". Ideally I would like a full translation of the Section, but I would be happy with just their names.

Title: Re: Deciphering german handwriting
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Thursday 22 May 08 18:00 BST (UK)

Here is an interesting article (in english) on Sütterlin script:

Here you can learn Suetterlin - the "German handwriting"
http://www.suetterlinschrift.de/Englisch/Sutterlin.htm

on the same site, there is also a page about Fraktur:

The "blackletter typeface" Gotik, Schwabacher, and Fraktur
http://www.suetterlinschrift.de/Englisch/Fraktur1.htm

This is often found on printed documents.


Yours Sütterlin-ly,

Title: Re: Deciphering german handwriting
Post by: aghadowey on Thursday 22 May 08 18:16 BST (UK)

Fantastic site there- now I'll have very little excuse for not reading old postcards, etc.

Title: Re: Deciphering german handwriting
Post by: kaydeeceee on Friday 08 March 24 00:06 GMT (UK)

Is the attached a German Letter? I think my American may have been a Hessian Soldier who 'changed' his nationality after settling in America.