german language and handwriting eastern european research workshop salt lake city, ut milan...
TRANSCRIPT
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German Language and Handwriting
Eastern European Research Workshop
Salt Lake City, UT
Milan Pohontsch, AG®
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Topics covered in this hour:
History of German HandwritingExamples of German HandwritingSütterlin StyleDeutsche Schreibschrift StyleStart Reading German RecordsSpecial Letters and LigaturesEvaluation of a RecordAbbreviationsDate FormatBasic German GrammarFeast Days
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200 BC – 200 ADIn Documents In
Letters
Abt. 200-600 Abt. 200-400
Abt. 500-700 Abt. 400-900
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Abt. 850 –1100
Abt. 1100-1300
To abt. 1450 Abt. 1300-1500
In Documents In Letters
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In Documents In Letters
Abt. 1450s-1550s Abt. 1500s-1600s
Abt. 1550s-1800s Abt. 1550s-1820s AD
Abt. 1600s-1880s Abt. 1600s-1850s
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In Documents In Letters
From abt. 1875 Abt. 1800
From 1915 in Prussia
From 1942
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Deutsche Sütterlin-Schrift
Deutsche Schreibschift
½11/2
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A G H W
a g h w1 4 6 7
/ 60 – 70 degree inclination
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1
1
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Deutsche Schreibschrift Old German Handscript
Gothic
Kurrent
Current
Fraktur
Ausgangsschrift
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Sütterlin Style
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Deutsche Schreibschrift Style
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Start reading with printed records
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Practice booklet
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Left page
Right page
Continue with mixed handwritten records
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Left page
Right page
Continue with mixed handwritten records
Kuckau 14. August Catharina George Kneschk[town of birth date of birth name of child name of father]
Magdalena, néePech, a.k.a. Krons[name of mother witnesses, godparents]
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Try some challenging records
94 Geburtsbuch vom Jahrgang Tausend achtundert zwanzig und neun12 u.13.
Marianna u. Theresia Sattler Zwillinge
Im Jahr 1829, den achten Jan. wurden abends geboren Marianna 5 1/2 Uhr und Theresia 7 1/2 Uhr, und den neunten Morgens 10 Uhr getauft, eheliche Kinder des Franz Anton Sattler Schuster und der Marianna Müller von Schliengen. Die Zeugen waren Konrad Müller und Konrad Georg von hier und Anton Scherle Sigrist.
Pfarramt Schuhmacher
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ä ö ü
Special letters and ligatures
ae oe ueÄ Ö Ü
ending-s
ch ck tz
mm nnsz
Ch Ck Tz
SchSt
ss
N
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Something challenging for experts
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The evaluation of a record
In order to properly evaluate a record, several steps should be contemplated:
a. IsolationFind dates (day, month, year)Locate names (given names, surnames, place names)Identify principle words connected to:baptisms (Taufen, getauft, taufen lassen, renatus)marriage (heiraten, geheiratet, getraut, verehelicht)death (Tod, gestorben, verstorben, verstarb, starb)
b. Think phonetically. Grammar rules were not established until 1902 (Duden), accept words spelled with “P” instead of “B”, with “ph” instead of just “f”, with “d” instead of “t” (more examples later on). The name of the city Trübenbach can also appear as Dreubenbach or Triebenbach.
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The evaluation of a record (cont.)
c. Establish an alphabet. Isolate various letters and compare them to the rest of the script. Start by looking at familiar names.d. Use logic. If you recognize only vowels or only consonants in a given word, there most likely is a problem. There are a few exceptions. Words with 2 vowels or three consonants do exist!
In order to avoid hasty conclusions, follow these steps:a. Transcribe your text (with every comma, period and abbreviation)b. Transliterate it (from Gothic to cursive script)c. Translate the textd. Lastly, write an abstract in which you will formulate your final conclusion about the document and which will direct you to your next research step.
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Abbreviationsgeb. geb. geboren born
ehel. ehel. ehelich legitimate
getr. getr. getraut married (on)
verh. verh. verheiratet married (with)
verst. verst. verstorben deceased, died
gest. gest. gestorben died
konf. konf. konfirmiert confirmed
gen. gen. genannt also know as
unehel. unehel. unehelich illegitimate
S.d. S.d. Sohn des son of
T.d. T.d. Tochter des daughter of
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Date Format
10. September 1902
day month year
10. September 190210. 7tbr 1902
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Months
9mbr 9bri$ = November
8tbr 8bri$ = October
7tbr 7bri$ = September
Xmbr Xbri$ = December
Xmbr Xbri$ = December
10mbr 10bri$ = December
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7. ζ 8bris
15. ζ 9bris
No changes of names between January and August
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German grammar
• Inflected language (terminations of words change to indicate their function in a sentence)
• Three grammatical genders
• Noun inflection
• Verb inflection
• Verb prefixes
• Word order
• Alphabetical order
• Spelling
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Inflected language with three grammatical genders
masculine feminine neuter
der die daseiner eine einesgeborener geborene geborenesgetaufter getaufte getauftesverheirateter verheiratete verheiratetesgestorbener gestorbene gestorbenesbegrabener begrabene begrabeneskonfimierter konfimierte konfimierteshinterlassener hinterlassenehinterlassenes
Please be aware of the ending on female family names in pre-1900 recordsMüllerin, Mayerin, Huberin, SchmalzelinStuckin, Waderin, Supperin
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Possessive “s”
Anna, des Hubers’ Frau ist Patin.
Agnes, des Georg Kneschk, Gärtners in Kuckau ehl. Tochter.
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Verb inflection
3rd person, singular
• Three persons1st Am Sonntag habe ich Catharina getauft, Tochter des … 2nd Am Sonntag hast du Catharina getauft, Tochter des …3rd Am Sonntag wurde Catharina getauft, Tochter des …
• Two numberssingular Das Kind des Johann Müller wurde getauft am …plural Die Kinder des Johann Müller wurden getauft am …
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Verb prefixesusually (but not always) in combination with past tense
Taufe getauftHeirat geheiratet, verheiratet, verehelichtTod gestorben, verstorbenKauf verkaufen, gekauftWittwe /-r verwittwet
Other prefixes:zer-, ab-, er-, vor-, auf-
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Word order
Generally less rigid than in Modern English
Am 17. Februar gegen Mittag wurde Friederika Sophia, Tochter des Andreas Schmidt aus Altenhausen und der Agata, geborene Maier aus Neuenhausen zur heiligen Taufe gebracht. Das Kind wurde Tags zuvor früh um ¼ vor 6 geboren. Die Patin war Friederika Sophia, Franz Redels’ Ehefrau, die Schwester der Mutter.
Direct translation On 17th February at noon was Friederika Sophia, daughter of Andreas Schmidt of Altenhausen and of Agata, nee Maier of Neuenhausento the holy baptism presented. The child was the day before in the morning at 5:45 born. The godmother was Friederika Sophia, Franz Redels’ wife, the sister of the mother.
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Alphabetical Order in German Publications
German letters with diacritic marks (Umlaut) will be alphabetized in most publications as though they were a, o, u, and ss.
Some publications alphabetized the letters with diacritic marks after the regular letter.
However, many dictionaries and gazetteers will alphabetize these characters as if they were ae, oe, ue, and ss(see example)
Bodz….Böbb… = Boebb…
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Spelling
Because spelling rules were not standardized in earlier centuries, spelling variations are common. Local dialect often affects the spelling in genealogical records. In German records, the following letters are sometimes used interchangeably:
p used for b Examples: a used for e Freytag for Freitag t used for d or dt Burckhart for Burkhard s used for z Waldpurga for Waldburga ck used for k undt for und y used for i or j v used for w or f k used for g tz used for z ig used for isch or ich t used for th u used for i
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Latinized surnames in German records
Found in late 1700s to late 1800s ecclesiastical records
Often found for surnames derived from professions or objects
Examples: Agricola = Ackermann; Carbonarius = Köhler
Germanized first- and surnames in German records
Found in late 1600s to 1945 in ecclesiastical records
Examples: Handrij Wičas = Andreas Lehmann; Herta Rak = Gertrud Krebs
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Time specification in German records
Past full hour
e.g. ¼ nach 1 Nachmittags
[1/4 hour past 1 PM]
Before full hour
e.g. ¼ vor 9 Vormittags
[1/4 hour before 1 PM]
e.g. ½ nach 1 Nachmittags[1/2 hour past 1 PM]
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Feast days in German records
6th of January
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Feast days in German recordsOften dates in church records counted beginning with the following feast days:
Epiphanias = Starting with 6. January
Pessach = Easter Sunday
Trinitatis = Holiday of the Trinity, starting with the Sunday after Pentecost, counted this way until Advent
Advent = Starting with the 4th Sunday before Christmas Eve
The six Sundays after Easter are called: Quasimodogeniti, Misericordias Domini, Jubilate, Cantate, Rogate, Exaudi
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Feast days in German records
Only available in German for 1700 to 2199 under http://weltzeituhr.com/infos/kirchliche_feiertage.shtml
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Questions I might answer?
not be able to
http://www.european-roots.com/feefhs.html