Rhineland (Rheinland) Language and Handwriting

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Because of the French influence during the Napoleonic years, many records will be written in French. As a result of this it is also the time when the French Republican Calendar was in use in Rheinland. Early Civil Registration beginning in 1792 often had preprinted French formats requiring specific information.

There are several interesting and helpful articles on the linguistic situation in the Rheinland.

Click here for Languages in the Lower Rhine Area of Germany languages in the Lower Rhein, here for Spellings Variants in the Northern Rheinland Spellings Variants in the Northern Rheinland here for The Dialect Basis of Spelling Variation in German Surnames dialect basis of spelling variation in German names, and here for The Low German Language in German Research Low German.