How can I decipher my great grandmother’s German records?

QMy maternal great grandmother was Prussian, and I don’t seem to be able to get anywhere with this line. I have two documents, one my grandparent’s marriage ‘certificate’ and the other a death certificate, neither of which I can read as they are in German and I don’t speak the language. Geraldine Hill

AThis is a common problem with German handwritten documents from before about 1940. Until then, the German language was written in a different alphabet to the one used today – often called Kurrent or Sütterlin. In fact, there were several versions, some of which are much more difficult to decipher than others! Archivists in Germany are trained to read the old script, but speakers of German would probably be unable to make sense of it.

You could employ a German researcher to read the documents for you. If you go down this route, I suggest you ask for a précis rather than a literal transcription, which is cheaper.

Another possibility is to learn how to read it yourself using the Brigham Young University’s website on the Old German Script: script.byu. edu/Pages/the-german-documents-pages/ the-german-documents (english). This would help any future German research you do.

If the documents look like they may be written in standard German, try typing the text into Google Translate: translate.google.co.uk. Although the translation will not, of course, be perfect, there’s a good chance that it will be good enough to enable you to understand what the documents mean.

I also recommend that you join the AngloGerman Family History Society ( agfhs.org). While the administrators cannot offer to transcribe or translate documents for you, they can put you in touch with members who are professional genealogists in Germany who will be able to help. Once you know what is in the documents, you can ask the society for advice on how to proceed. With their expertise, they may be able to help you trace your Prussian ancestry further back!

Peter Towey