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.
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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...
61 views
Pamela Israel
- Jun 2, 2018
- 2 min
Civil War Diary Translation?
I feel so very lucky that my family has saved and cared for both family photos and also diaries, letters and other family pieces. Reading...
249 views
Stefan Israel
- Mar 31, 2018
- 2 min
Frohen Geburtstag, Bach! Happy birthday, Bach!
It’s the old master’s birthday, and we’ll take that as a happy excuse to talk about names like Bach.
105 views
Stefan Israel
- Mar 14, 2018
- 4 min
the FEMININE of FAMILY NAMES
The history behind some of those last names - many had a feminine meaning. In some languages, the end of names still changes!
1,550 views
Pamela Israel
- Mar 8, 2018
- 2 min
Servant Class: Independent Woman
Voyage to America: Servant Class - Independent Woman
76 views
Stefan Israel
- Jan 18, 2018
- 2 min
What’s with the -ch- in German?
German has two variants for ch, depending on whether the surrounding letters are ‘bright’ or ‘dark’. If you say “ee, ey” versus “o, oo, a
602 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
72 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
57 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
92 views
Stefan Israel
- Dec 5, 2017
- 2 min
St. Nicholas - Bringer of Gifts
Martin Luther, who grew up with the tradition of gifts on Nikolaustag, shifted gift-giving to Christmas, since saints were no longer a focus
345 views
Stefan Israel
- Dec 4, 2017
- 2 min
St. Nicholas's Bad Cop: Krampus
Was zum Teufel? What the freaking devil? Santa. Krampus
120 views
Pamela Israel
- Nov 21, 2017
- 2 min
…..And I Thought I Knew All About Those Grandparents!
Sometimes you think you’ve heard almost every family story (often multiple times), but I’ve been so wonderfully surprised recently....and in
62 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
5,060 views
Pamela Israel
- Oct 31, 2017
- 1 min
Black Cat (schwarze Katze) Boo!
German words inspired by US Halloween
166 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,...
102 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.
492 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.
517 views
Pamela Israel
- Sep 6, 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.
77 views
Pamela Israel
- Aug 29, 2017
- 2 min
The Twins from Two Different Countries
One says he's German. The other says he's Danish. They're twins. It actually makes sense, but there's history to understand.
107 views
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