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Pamela Israel
Jan 9, 20192 min read
The Journey & the Journeyman Book
An apprentice butcher's training in 19th century "Germany" included journeying and learning from one expert to another and sta
476 views


Stefan Israel
Nov 12, 20184 min read
Why burg, why berg?
Berg vs. BurgÂ
These two words show up abundantly in family and place names across the Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Dutch, Englis
21,048 views


Pamela Israel
Oct 23, 20182 min read
German in the Cemetery
Some old cemeteries have gravestones written in German. Here are some tips to help translate some key words.
5,537 views

Stefan Israel
Oct 10, 20183 min read
Separated 99 Years, part 1
Finding Herbert Harschnek - a little saga of 99 years parted: Starting with Alois Harschnek whom we mentioned in our last post.
126 views

Pamela Israel
Oct 3, 20181 min read
Tip: German-Language Newspaper Search
Here’s a fun tip for researching relatives, especially 1st generation German ones. The Library of Congress’ Chronicling America: Historic...
129 views


Stefan Israel
Sep 21, 20184 min read
Clues Hidden in "von" and "van"?
People's surnames often provide clues into their way back family history. Learn what Von and Van mean for the Dutch and Germans.
22,468 views


Pamela Israel
Sep 10, 20181 min read
When is October in September?
Beer lovers and German fans can likely answer this riddle in a second. We are talking about Oktoberfest! September brings a nip in the...
65 views


Pamela Israel
Mar 7, 20182 min read
Servant Class: Independent Woman
Voyage to America: Servant Class - Independent Woman
80 views


Pamela Israel
Dec 30, 20172 min read
Ticket to a Year of Happiness
One of the fun things about digging through old family papers is discovering the whimsical pieces that someone has tucked away. Here's
97 views


Pamela Israel
Dec 21, 20171 min read
Der Nussknacker (The Nutcracker) - so much fun to say!
Nutcrackers, decorated trees and snow on the ground. Christmas must be right around the corner. We've seasonal Germantranslations to get
68 views


Pamela Israel
Dec 16, 20171 min read
O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) & More!
Houses are adorned with festive lights, decorations and trees. We've some German translations to get you even more in the holiday spirit
102 views


Stefan Israel
Nov 15, 20172 min read
The Curious History of the German 'Doubled S' - ß
Ä, Ö and Ü are simple variations of familiar letters, but the ​​fourth letter that German has that we don’t is the real kicker:  ß Eszett
5,897 views


Pamela Israel
Oct 31, 20171 min read
Black Cat (schwarze Katze) Boo!
German words inspired by US Halloween
270 views


Pamela Israel
Oct 10, 20172 min read
Where is that in English?
When it comes to place names, getting from English to German and vice-versa can be challenging, but it's also loads of fun, and useful,...
111 views


Stefan Israel
Oct 2, 20172 min read
Are those even the same letters in old German?
Old German letters are tough to read but they are mostly the same alphabet we use - just with a few variations.
595 views


Stefan Israel
Sep 26, 20172 min read
Why'd Germans have a different alphabet way back when?
Explanation on why old German writing was different than today's writing.
755 views


Pamela Israel
Sep 5, 20172 min read
Wait a Sec…Postcard Doubletake?
Turns out that these cards were often the early 20th century equivalent of a photo booth at an amusement park.
94 views

Pamela Israel
Aug 27, 20171 min read
From Chicago to Germany with Love
A family postcard goes from gibberish to treasure with translation - the magic of family genealogical translation!
128 views







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