Our Services

I transliterate any sort of documents for you from Kurrent or Sütterlin style handwriting into Latin type and send it to you in the format you prefer. There’s also a network of historians and experts in cultural studies I can consult with when dealing with more extensive projects or if any special research is required.

If you’re interested please send me:

• a short summary of your request
• a sample of 1- 3 pages of the document in question (either as a PDF email attachment or by postal mail – please do not send original documents)
• for me to assess the level of difficulty
• a close estimate of the complete size of the text (in DIN A4 pages)
• a note to the effect if there’s any urgency

After a careful assessment I will send you an estimate. If you accept my proposal I will need a scan of the complete text, as a PDF file, on CD etc. I will send the transliterated text to you as requested, either as an email attachment, a printout or on CD, together with the final bill. 10 business days after completing the assignment I will destroy all received documents. If you should need more information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kurrent and Sütterlin handwriting

The German Kurrent script, a type of handwriting used during the 18th, 19th and in the beginning of the 20th century, is considered the predecessor of the Sütterlin script. As the Kurrent script was less heavily regulated as the later Sütterlin script it allowed a wider range of individual expression. Thus documents will vary not only because of characteristics of the time period or the region they were written in or the type of writing tool used but also through the individual preferences of their author.

The Sütterlin script was developed in 1911 by Ludwig von Sütterlin. Sütterlin set the letters of the cursive Kurrent script upright and simplified their individual shapes. His script was tested in 1914 in Prussia and by 1930 it was already being used in most schools in Germany.

When in 1941 the German government banned the use of the fractured print types „Gotisch“, „Schwabacher“ and „Fraktur“ they also prohibited the use of the Sütterlin script. In their place the so called “normal script”, a latin style print and hand written type was taught and used. A reintroduction of the Sütterlin script was discussed after 1945, but never implemented.

About me

When visiting elementary school in my hometown Trier, I was taught Sütterlin rather incidentally. The headmaster of our school was keen to pass on his own skills to future generations. A new world opened up for me and I passionately started going through the old shoe boxes left by my late great aunt, because I wanted to learn as much as possible about her. Amongst photographs and drawings I found letters, notes and friendship books - and everything written in Sütterlin. Later I regularly went around flea markets looking for antique photobooks and documents to buy. I then studied Fine Arts in the Netherlands and in Bremen; afterwards Cultural Sciences and Cultural Management in Ludwigsburg. After several stays in St. Petersburg and some years of working in Ukraine I have settled in the beautiful Upper Palatinate and started transliterating texts part time, basically because I really enjoy deciphering old documents and thus make another little chunk of history accessible for other people.