RootsChat.Com

Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: tristiw on Monday 18 January 10 02:18 GMT (UK)

Title: COMPLETED THANK YOU! German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: tristiw on Monday 18 January 10 02:18 GMT (UK)
Here is a postcard from Israel.  I think it was sent to Kornelia Woerz in Australia, by a friend who knew she used to live close to Nazareth in the early part of the 20th century.

There is something written in smudgy pencil on the back.  I think this is Kornelia's writing, but I'd like to know what it says.  It's just as likely to not relate to the picture on the front at all - it could be a shopping list for all I know. 

This is what I have: nugfakinhir? sind ?   (i.e. not much).

Sorry it's so hard to read.  I've enhanced it as best I could within the limits of what I can post.

Thanks for your time.  Tristi
Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: blodwen on Monday 18 January 10 11:30 GMT (UK)
Hi Tristi,

Cann't make much of the first word  (at a first glance I would have said "unglaublich") but the next two words are:

....... sind wir

Doesn't make much sense with my interpretation of the first word, but maybe someone else has other possibilities.

Viv
Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: Augustine on Monday 18 January 10 20:00 GMT (UK)
Hi,

That's not "unglaublich"
Could you post an other photo only with the words and with higher resolution?
Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: tristiw on Wednesday 20 January 10 10:48 GMT (UK)
Thanks for having a go.
I've done a fair bit of playing at high resolution, adding a sharpening mask and inverting the image to a negative.
Much easier to see...maybe just as hard to read:
Thanks Tristi
Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: blodwen on Wednesday 20 January 10 18:29 GMT (UK)
Sorry Tristi,

cann't make anything out of the enlargement.

Will keep an eye on it.

Viv
Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: Astoria on Wednesday 20 January 10 18:36 GMT (UK)
My two penneth

ungefahr..... (umlaut over the a)
sind wir
Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: Graham Whitehead on Wednesday 20 January 10 18:41 GMT (UK)
Wonder if it reads "umgefahren   --- sind wir  "We have been driven around." (e.g.see the sites)
Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: Astoria on Wednesday 20 January 10 18:48 GMT (UK)
Could it be a smudgy B = double s, still can't think of a word though.
Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: Augustine on Wednesday 20 January 10 19:10 GMT (UK)
Hi Tristi,

ungefähr hir sind wir
Thank you Astoria  ;)

I think the spot on the "f" could be a hole and corresponds to the localization of the house on top of the photo.
Do you understand what I mean?

Augustine
Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: blodwen on Wednesday 20 January 10 19:14 GMT (UK)
Brilliant, well done Augustine.

Understand what you mean  :)

Viv
Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: tristiw on Wednesday 20 January 10 22:47 GMT (UK)
You gurs are amazing!  I never would have figured out all those letters without your help. 
Augustine, you are right...there is a hole through the 'f' where a tack has been pressed through.  I assumed that it had been sent to Kornelia, who had pinned it up on her notice board.  But on closer inspection maybe the hole does mark a prominent or important house.
Excuse my ignorance of German, but what does the inscription mean?  I automatically translated it, and got:  hir we are approximate. 
I think the inscription is pointing out the house, but am at a loss to phrase it properly.  Perhaps:  "We are about here?" or "We're staying approximately here?"
Cheers, Tristi
Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: blodwen on Thursday 21 January 10 16:39 GMT (UK)
You are right with your translation, Tristi,

"We are about here"  is okay.

Viv

Title: Re: German Handwriting Translation Please
Post by: tristiw on Friday 22 January 10 06:04 GMT (UK)
Thanks for your help everyone.  I'm putting this one to bed now.  Mystery solved.  Tristi