Berlin Language and Handwriting

Berlin, Brandenburg German Empire Wiki Topics
Beginning Research
Locating Place of Origin Finding Aids For German Records
Berlin, Brandenburg German Empire Record Types
Church Records Civil Registration Directories Moving Records	Onlne Genealogy Records Periodicals
Reading the Records
German Word List Latin Word List French Word List	Handwriting Languages Feast Days Script Tutorial
Berlin Background
History	Maps Parishes
Ethnicity
Huguenots
Local Research Resources
Archives & Libraries Societies FamilySearch Centers

Germany

Berlin

Berlin Language and Handwriting

Reading the Records

• It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in German to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them. By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately. Here are some resources for learning to read German records.

German Genealogical Word List

German Handwriting

• These video webinars will teach you to read German handwriting:

• Old German Script Part 1
• Old German Script Part 2
• Old German Script (German Church and Civil Records) Part 3

• Also online interactive slideshow lessons are available to help you learn to read these records:

• Reading German Handwritten Records Lesson 1: Kurrent Letters
• Reading German Handwritten Records Lesson 2: Making Words in Kurrent
• Reading German Handwritten Records Lesson 3: Reading Kurrent Documents. In this lesson, you will explore several types of German genealogical records, including birth, baptismal, marriage, and death records.
• German Script Tutorial

This converter will show you how any phrase or name might look in German script:

• Kurrentschrift Converter (enter German genealogical word, click on "convert", view your word in Kurrentschrift (Gothic handwriting)

Latin Records

Records of the Catholic church will usually be written in Latin:

• Latin Genealogical Word List