Germans have long been a scattered people. Millions of Americans identify their ancestral roots as German. For many, however, their ancestors spoke German but never lived in what constitutes modern Germany. Some “Germans” never even lived is what could be called a German states or territories. From the middle ages on, German-speaking communities have thrived all across Europe, especially in the Eastern countries. Many identified themselves by their language, culture, and customs as German, but may have lived nowhere near modern Germany. The result is many German documents exist across a large geographical area in Europe. German, as a language, was used in written vital records across Europe. Documents were also written in other languages but by German hands; in particular, French and Latin were common.
Learning to read and transcribe these documents can be a stumbling block. The Gothic alphabet alone can be difficult to read, even if you speak fluent German. Fortunately, Roger Minert has taken his more than 20 years of experience and applied it to producing Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents: Analyzing German, Latin, and French in Historical Manuscripts. The original book is considered by many to be the preemptive guide on the subject. This new second edition extends the offerings, and will to serve those with German ancestry.
This book is so much more than a basic treatment of Old German Script or Gothic letters. This book examine the history, the development, the alphabet, and the handwriting of not only the German language, but also Latin and French in German documents. In the author’s own words, he as added the following features to this book, not previously handled by other authors:
“a brief but scholarly review of the history of handwriting styles and alphabets in German-speaking regions of Europe
the introduction of a computerized, normed set of Gothic alphabet characters
the inclusion of examples consisting of illustrations taken from genuine records
a methodology for deciphering Latin texts in German source documents
a methodology for deciphering French texts in German source documents
the introduction of the only modern technology to be applied to the deciphering of words and names in old handwritten German documents — the reverse alphabetical index”
In addition to all this well-defined and unique information, the author facilitate the learning process with over
150
, now, 200 illustrations. These documents are used step by step along the path taught in this guide to decipher German handwriting. In many cases, the author has provided a transliteration to a modern typeset face of the sample’s text, a translation into English, and a useful analysis to better understand both the type of document as well as key points in the deciphering of the contents.
The following are new to this second edition:
In-depth examinations of the Fraktur, Gothic, and Latin alphabets
Extensive techniques for analyzing texts
44 new documents from many subject areas
Nearly 200 images from original records
A new computer font more closely resembling the handwriting of original documents
Lists of genealogical terms in German, Latin, and French (both alphabetical and reverse alphabetical)
The new edition has 271 pages plus another 10 of front matter, totaling 281 pages. The first edition had a total of 192 pages. So – there are an additional 89 pages in the volume, with no upward change in price.
[A full table of contents is listed below]
Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents: Analyzing German, Latin, and French in Vital Records Written in Germany is available from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: M0001, Price: $27.44.
Table of Contents
Introduction
How to Use this Book
Chapter 1: The Evolution of Handwriting Styles in Germany
Introduction
Early Handwriting Styles
Handwriting Styles after the Middle Ages
The Standardization of Handwriting Styles
The End of the Gothic Alphabet in Daily Use
Determining the Language of the Handwritten Document
Notes
Chapter 2: Deciphering German Handwriting in German Documents
Introduction
The Gothic Handwriting Alphabet
Lower Case Gothic Characters
Upper Case Gothic Characters
Consonant Clusters and Doubled Consonants
Diacritical Marks and Punctuation
Crossing the t and Dotting the i
Abbreviations
Similar and Confusing Characters
Numbers and Dates
Numerals
Days of the Week
Months
Time of Day
Seasons of the Year
Cardinal Numbers vs. Ordinal Numbers
Feast Dates
French Republican Calendar Dates
Learning to Write in the Gothic Alphabet
German Language Tools
German Grammar
German Syntax and Word Order
German Vocabulary
Archaic German Language and Dialect Variants
Personal Names
Place Names
Determining the Type of Record
Basic Tactics in Deciphering German Handwriting in Vital Record Entries
Extraction
Transliteration
Translation
Additional Tactics in Deciphering German Handwriting in Vital Records
Index
Chronology
Alphabet Sampler
Vowel/Consonant Environments
Syntactic Analysis
Deciphering Sample Vital Record Entries
Church Birth/Christening Records
Civil Birth Records
Church Marriage Records
Church Death/Burial Records
Civil Death Records
Other Types of Records
Summary
Notes
Chapter 3: Deciphering Latin Handwriting in German Documents
Introduction
The Latin Alphabet as Used in German Vital Records
Abbreviations in Vital Records entries in Latin
Numerals
Dates
Latin Grammar
The Elements of a Typical Latin Church Book Entry
Column Entries
Sentence Entries
Paragraph Entries
Tactics for Deciphering Latin in Vital Records in German Documents
Summary
Notes
Chapter 4: Deciphering French Handwriting in German Documents
Introduction
The Practice of French Record-keeping in Germany
Church Vital Records in the French Language
Civil Registry Vital Records in the French Language
Civil Registry Pre-printed Entry Forms
Numerals and Dates
The French Republican Calendar
French Grammar and Language Tools
Gender
Number
Capitalization
Syntax
Vocabulary
Placement of Adjectives
Analyzing French Entries in German Church Records
Column-entry Church Records
Paragraph-entry Church Records
Analyzing French Entries in German Civil Records
Paragraph French Entries in German Church Records
Pre-printed French Entries in German Civil Records
Summary
Notes
Chapter 5: Additional Documents of Historical Importance
Introduction
Autobiography
Church Certificate
Personal Letter
Postcard
Telegram
Business Letter
Employment Identification
Recommendation
Business License
Public Schools
Government Family Records
Court (Guardianship)
Court (Divorce)
Court (Name Change)
Marriage Contract
Military
Report of Death in Battle
Proof of Military Service
Last Will and Testament
Citizenship
Residential Registration
Passenger Lists
Emigration Application
Passport
Trans-Atlantic Travel
Church Records
Standards for Church Records
Church Birth Certificate
Church Marriage Certificate
Baptismal Entry
Confirmation Entries
Marriage Entry
Death Entry
Family Record
Membership List
Parish Constitution
Church Council Minutes
Baptismal Entry in Latin
Conclusions
Foreign Language Competence
How to Use a Reverse Alphabetical Index
Annotated Bibliography
Works Cited in This Book
Additional Works Recommended to Family History Researchers
Glossary
Appendices
The Printed Gothic/Fraktur Alphabet
German Genealogical Vocabulary
German Genealogical Vocabulary: Reverse Alphabetical Order
Latin Genealogical Vocabulary
Latin Genealogical Vocabulary: Reverse Alphabetical Order
French Genealogical Vocabulary
French Genealogical Vocabulary: Reverse Alphabetical Order
Common Genealogical Symbols Found in Vital Records in Germany
German Empire Civil Registry Entry Forms (1876–1918)
Computer Translation of Old Church book Entries
Index