Deciphering old German handwriting (Sütterlin, Kurrentschrift)
While researching your German ancestors, you may come across some handwritten documents in the old German handwriting (Sütterlin, Kurrentschrift). These old German documents, e.g. civil status certificates, church records, letters or diaries, are often difficult to read. This applies not only to handwritten documents, but also to printed documents in the old German script (Fraktur).
I would be glad to decipher these documents for you. I therefore offer the transcription of old German handwriting and/or script into a readable document. You will receive a transcript of your German text which is correct to the letter. I will not change the wording and spelling of the original. I adhere to the guidelines of the Archive School Marburg.
The first viewing of your documents and an offer are free of charge and non-binding for you. Please send me your documents as a scan, preferably in greyscale and with the highest possible resolution, to info@altdeutsche-schrift.org.
Please provide me the following information:
- what do you know about the document, especially names of people and places,
- and your billing address
If you have any questions feel free to call (+49) 931 80 41 881.
If you would like a German into English translation I can provide you with a contact.
Prices
- In average the price is about 10 Euros per page, depending on page size and level of difficulty. For texts before the year 1700 A. D., idiosyncratic handwriting, complicated tables, large formats, etc., the price per page could also be higher.
- Minimum order value are 15 Euros.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Learning to decipher the old German handwriting
Eventually, reading old German handwriting is not that difficult. With a little practice it is possible to learn it. You can find some sample alphabets on my website that might be helpful when learning to read the old German handwriting.