Tips and Tricks of Deciphering German Handwriting - A Translator's Tricks of the Trade for Translating German Genealogy Documents; by Katherine Schober; 2018; Soft-Cover; 105 pp; 6x9; ISBN 9781980281528 Item#: KS01

Do you have German documents, but can't read them? You're not alone. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced genealogy enthusiast, these easy-to-use transcription and translation tips by professional German handwriting translator Katherine Schober will help you reach new levels in deciphering your ancestor's genealogy records. In this newly-revised comprehensive collection of Katherine's most popular articles and blog posts, you will discover how to easily recognize a number of letters in the old German handwriting, and become familiar with the abbreviations, occupations, and outdated words that pepper German documents. Learn how to use the very same resources as a professional genealogy translator when deciphering letters, diaries, church records, certificates and more. Complete with real-life handwriting samples, German word glossaries and additional lists of genealogy tools, this guide is a must-have for anyone working with the old German script.

In this book, you will learn:

• The telltale signs of certain handwritten letters
• The “look-alike letters” in German handwriting and how to work with them
• Common ancestral occupations for both men and women in German genealogy
• Abbreviations and milestone words found in German documents
• Outdated German words no longer in dictionaries and their meanings today
• The typical spelling mistakes on German records and how to identify them
• How to read the standard German marriage certificate format
• The best online resources for transcribing the old German handwriting

and more!

Whether you’ve mastered the old German handwriting or are just starting out, this book will provide you with the supplemental knowledge necessary to delve deeper into the exciting world of German genealogy.

The following is from the Table of Contents

• Forward - by James M. Beidler
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: A Poem to Old Letters
• Chapter 2: Ten Tips for Deciphering Old German Handwriting
• Chapter 3: Translating Genealogy Documents: Make Technology Work for You
• Chapter 4: Six Need-to-Know Handwriting "Letter Swaps" When Deciphering Your German Documents
• Chapter 5: Think Like a German: Spelling Variations in Genealogy Documents
• Chapter 6: Top 25 Milestone Words for Finding Your German Ancestor
• Chapter 7: What Did You Do for a Living, Ancestors?: Common Occupations in German Genealogy
• Chapter 8: Ten German Words You Won't Find ina Dictionary
• Chapter 9: The Most Common Abbreviations in German Genealogy
• Chapter 10: An In-Depth Guide to Reading German Marriage Certificates
• Chapter 11: Practice Makes Perfect
• Conclusion
• About the Author
• Appendix I: Helpful German Handwriting Resources
• Appendix II Glossary
• Appendix III: German Version of Chapter One Poem (Original Version)
• Appendix IV: List of Figures

About the Author:

Katherine Schober is a German to English translator specializing in genealogical and historical texts. She works with the old German handwriting on a daily basis, translating letters, diaries, church records, military records, birth, marriage and death certificates and more. She is a contributing columnist to Der Kurier, the quarterly journal of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society, where she covers topics relating to the old German script. As a genealogy speaker, Katherine offers lectures on topics of German handwriting and German genealogy research at conferences, local libraries and genealogical organizations. Katherine holds an M.A. in German language and Literature and was a four-year resident of Salzburg Austria, teaching English through the Fulbright program and translating German in the beautiful foothills of the Alps. Now back in the USA with her Austrian husband, German is still the main language spoken in her home.