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
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Stefan Israel
- Nov 12, 2018
- 4 min
Why burg, why berg?
Berg vs. Burg
These two words show up abundantly in family and place names across the Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Dutch, Englis
19,682 views
Pamela Israel
- Oct 23, 2018
- 2 min
German in the Cemetery
Some old cemeteries have gravestones written in German. Here are some tips to help translate some key words.
5,102 views
Stefan Israel
- Oct 10, 2018
- 3 min
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, 2018
- 1 min
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...
122 views
Stefan Israel
- Sep 21, 2018
- 4 min
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.
21,142 views
Pamela Israel
- Sep 10, 2018
- 1 min
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 8, 2018
- 2 min
Servant Class: Independent Woman
Voyage to America: Servant Class - Independent Woman
80 views
Pamela Israel
- Dec 30, 2017
- 2 min
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
88 views
Pamela Israel
- Dec 21, 2017
- 1 min
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
66 views
Pamela Israel
- Dec 16, 2017
- 1 min
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
100 views
Stefan Israel
- Nov 15, 2017
- 2 min
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
5,585 views
Pamela Israel
- Oct 31, 2017
- 1 min
Black Cat (schwarze Katze) Boo!
German words inspired by US Halloween
234 views
Pamela Israel
- Oct 10, 2017
- 2 min
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,...
109 views
Stefan Israel
- Oct 2, 2017
- 2 min
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.
559 views
Stefan Israel
- Sep 26, 2017
- 2 min
Why'd Germans have a different alphabet way back when?
Explanation on why old German writing was different than today's writing.
652 views
Pamela Israel
- Sep 5, 2017
- 2 min
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.
91 views
Pamela Israel
- Aug 27, 2017
- 1 min
From Chicago to Germany with Love
A family postcard goes from gibberish to treasure with translation - the magic of family genealogical translation!
125 views
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