Some handwriting only looks illegible.
I transcribe and translate historical German documents written in Kurrent and Sütterlin — the old handwritten scripts most native German speakers can no longer read. Letters, diaries, church records, and family papers, turned back into words you can actually use.
Quotes are always free, with no obligation.
Twenty-five years with German. A lifetime with its old handwriting.
I'm certified by the American Translators Association (ATA) for German-to-English translation — a credential held by a relatively small number of translators. Over more than twenty-five years I've translated professionally across legal, medical, and regulatory documents, building on formal academic training as a translator and interpreter.
Reading Kurrent and Sütterlin — the handwritten scripts used across German-speaking countries until the mid-twentieth century — is a different skill entirely, one I picked up gradually, transcribing old letters and family papers for acquaintances until it became a service of its own.
From faded ink to clear text.
Transcription
Kurrent or Sütterlin handwriting rendered into modern German type, letter for letter — preserving the original spelling and phrasing exactly as written.
Translation
Transcribed or already-typed German text translated into clear, accurate English, with an eye for the tone and period of the original.
Transcription + Translation
The full journey from handwritten page to finished English text — the most requested service, ideal for letters, diaries, and family papers.
Frequently worked with: personal letters and diaries, church and civil records, legal contracts, medical records, and other family or historical papers.
What this actually looks like.
A real transcription example — the opening of Conrad Ferdinand Meyer's poem “Der römische Brunnen,” written in Kurrent — showing the shape of the work from handwritten page to finished text. Send your own document below and I'll provide a sample transcription of your material.
er voll der Marmorschale Rund,
die, sich verschleiernd, überfließt
in einer zweiten Schale Grund;
die zweite gibt, sie wird zu reich,
der dritten wallend ihre Flut,
und jede nimmt und gibt zugleich
und strömt und ruht.
Send a document, get a quote.
Every document is different — length, legibility, and subject all affect the work involved, so every quote is free and comes with no obligation. A minimum fee of USD $50 applies once a project is accepted. A good-quality photo of your document is perfectly fine — PDFs and most other image formats are accepted too. Describe your document below, or attach it once your email opens, and I'll get back to you with an estimate.