Germany Handwriting

Old German gothic handwriting and print are very different from the Roman script most English-speaking genealogists use. For examples of old German Gothic handwriting see [ Old German Handwriting (Gothic)] and the [ Handwriting Guide: German Gothic].

A three-part online class called Reading German Handwritten Records is available on the FamilySearch.org website.

Another helpful learning tool is http://script.byu.edu. The German section shows how letters are formed, provides practice exercises, and allows students to test their knowledge.

The book Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents by Roger P. Minert is an excellent textbook for studying the German script. It can be purchased here

A useful chapter on German print and script is found on pages 204 to 217 of:

Schweitzer, George K. German Genealogical Research. Knoxville, Tennessee, USA: Schweitzer, 1992. (FHL book 973 D2sg.)

Another is on pages 171 to 197 of Smith's German Church Books. The chart in the next column shows how each letter of the alphabet looks in gothic handwriting and type.

A further really useful book for help is If I Can You Can Decipher Germanic Records by Edna M. Bentz.

The ISBN for the book is ISBN-10: 0961542004 or ISBN-13: 978-0961542009. It can be purchased online.