Old German handwriting translator

Upload a photo of a letter, diary or record in Kurrent or Sütterlin. We write out the German and translate it into English.

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Full transcription

Bremen, den 14. Oktober 1936.
Liebe Mutter!
Deinen lieben Brief haben wir mit großer
Freude erhalten, hab vielen Dank dafür.
Wir freuen uns, daß Ihr alle gesund seid.
Uns geht es Gott sei Dank gut. Karl hat
nun endlich die Stelle auf der Werft be-
kommen und fängt am 1. November an.
Die kleine Liesel ist schon recht groß
geworden und läuft durch die ganze Stube.
Sie fragt oft nach der Oma.
Zu Weihnachten wollen wir Euch besuchen,
wenn das Geld reicht. Die Fahrt mit der
Bahn kostet für uns drei an die 18 Mark.
Schreib mir bitte, ob Vaters Rücken wieder
besser ist und ob die Kartoffeln gut
eingebracht sind.
Viele herzliche Grüße, auch an Tante Hedwig [?]
Deine Grete

In plain modern English

Bremen, October 14, 1936

Dear Mother!

We were very happy to receive your kind letter, thank you very much for it. We are glad that you are all well.

We are doing well, thank God. Karl has finally got the job at the shipyard and starts on November 1. Little Liesel has grown quite big and runs all through the living room (Stube). She often asks about Grandma.

We want to visit you at Christmas if the money stretches. The train trip costs about 18 marks (Reichsmark, the currency of the time) for the three of us.

Please write and tell me whether Father's back is better and whether the potatoes are in (harvested).

Many warm regards, also to Aunt Hedwig [?]
Your Grete

Notes

Sütterlin was the standard school handwriting in Prussia from 1915 and in all of Germany from 1935. It was banned in 1941, but many older people kept writing it for decades.
“daß” is the old spelling of “dass” (that), used until the 1996 spelling reform.
“Euch” and “Ihr” (you, to family) were capitalized in letters at the time.
“An die 18 Mark” means about 18 marks: the Reichsmark, Germany’s currency from 1924 to 1948.
“Stube”: an old word for the living room, often the only heated room in the home.
“Kartoffeln eingebracht”: the potato harvest is in, which fits a letter written in October.
“Hedwig”: the name is smudged at the end of the line, so it is not read with full certainty.

Next steps

Compare the uncertain name “Hedwig” with other letters from Grete where it is written more clearly.
If the letter has more pages or an envelope, upload them too: postmarks and addresses help place the family.
Keep the transcription and translation with the original, so the next generation can read the letter too.

Unsure words are marked [?]. For very important documents, please also have the transcription checked by an expert.

What you get

Transcription: the German text word for word, in today's letters
English translation: the whole text in plain English
Notes: old words, places, currencies and dates explained
Honesty: unsure words are marked [?]
Free chart: every Sütterlin letter on one page, to print and share

Preview of the old German alphabet chart

Free old German alphabet chart

Every Sütterlin letter on one A4 page, with today's letter below and the letters people mix up most. Free to print and share with your family history group.

Download the PDF (1 page)

Questions and answers

Which scripts can you read?+

Kurrent, the old German handwriting used for centuries until the early 20th century; Sütterlin, the school script of 1915 to 1941; and Fraktur print. Typical documents are letters, postcards, diaries, recipes and church, civil and military records.

Is it free?+

You see the script, the kind of document and the first page for free. More pages start at $1.99; you see the price before you decide.

Can't I just use Google Translate?+

Google Translate and ordinary text scanners can't read Kurrent or Sütterlin; they are made for modern print. We first write out the German word for word in today's letters, then translate it into English and explain old words, places and currencies.

How accurate is it?+

Very accurate on clear originals. Words we are unsure of are marked [?], so you can check them yourself. For very important documents, have an expert check the transcription too.

Where can I learn the letters myself?+

Download our free Sütterlin alphabet chart on this page. FamilySearch and BYU also offer free German script tutorials.

What happens to my photos?+

They are only used to read the text and are not stored.

Automatic transcription and translation. Unsure words are marked [?].