# Need help with German letter translation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-german-letter-translation/715509 "2015-03-20T16:52:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-german-letter-translation/715509/1 "2015-03-20T16:52:57Z")
An acquaintance has asked me for help in translating a hand written letter in German. Apparently his grandfather employed a number of POWs at his dairy in Southern Minnesota, of whom Herr Schimietz, the writer of the letter, was one. By 1949 Schimietz was back in Halle (Saxony), in the “Russian Sector” of Germany and wrote to him. [Page 1](http://s1301.photobucket.com/user/blackadder32/media/germanletter_zpsolcgozfr.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1) [Page 2,3](http://s1301.photobucket.com/user/blackadder32/media/letter2_zpsv2bwiyyz.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-german-letter-translation/715509/2 "2015-03-20T17:12:24Z")
All I can tell is that it’s written in a form of Kurrent script, but beyond that I can make out only a letter here and there. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-german-letter-translation/715509/3 "2015-03-20T17:16:21Z")
It might begin “Durch meinem/meinen …” (Through my …) ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-german-letter-translation/715509/4 "2015-03-20T18:33:32Z")
The script used is either [Sütterlin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%BCtterlin) or [Kurrent](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurrent), two pretty similar styles of handwriting used in Germany for a while. My own skills at reading it are limited, and I can only make out scattered words, but I’ll give it a try. The writer is not a Herr Schiwietz, btw, but a lady, Gertrud Schiwietz, née Lubinski. The letter starts with reference to a certain Adalbert, who was in some relation to the writer’s late mother, Maria Lubinski. Through this Adalbert, the letter writer heard something about the “Dear Mr Adams” to whom the letter is addressed, and was very surprised because she and the addressee had not heard of each other before. The letter goes on to say that Gertrud Schiwietz does not know of the mutual family relationship to the addressee, but speculates that the addressee’s wife was a cousin of Gertrud. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-german-letter-translation/715509/5 "2015-03-20T18:39:40Z")
Then the letter goes on asking Mr Adams not to interpret it wrongly that Gertrud writes to him at such a difficult time, but the plight “here in Germany” is very dire, so she asks for understanding that she addresses such a begging letter (“Bittschreiben”) to Mr Adams. In case it’s possible for Mr Adams to spare some food, then Gertrud would be very grateful for it. Gertrud then goes on saying that she would be happy to enter into regular correspondence with Mr Adams. She would like to let Mr Adams know more about her family and economical situation, but she doesn’t know if this is [the following part is illegible to me]. The letter concludes with the expression of hope to hear soon from the addressee, and is signed Gertrud Schiwietz, née Lubinski, of Halle. (OK, that was not a translation, but a paraphrase) ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-german-letter-translation/715509/6 "2015-03-20T18:49:45Z")
If you need a transscription into legible German so you can get your own translation, it would be something like this (excuse the many words I couldn’t read): Werter Mr. Adams! Durch meinen xxx xxx Adalbert, es ist xxx xxx meiner verstorbenen Mutter Maria Lubinski, habe ich Ihre xxx Adresse erfahren. Wir waren xxx sehr überrascht xxx, da wir nie voneinander etwas gehört haben, xxx xxx xxx. Wie unser verwandtschaftliches Verhältnis ist, weiß ich nicht, nehme aber an, dass Ihre Frau eine Cousine von mir ist. Fassen Sie es bitte nicht falsch auf, dass ich in dieser schweren Zeit an Sie schreibe, aber die Not hier in Deutschland ist dermaßen groß, und die xxx xxx xxx, dass ich mit diesem Bittschreiben an Sie herantrete. Sollte es Ihnen vielleicht möglich sein, irgend etwas an Lebensmittel übrig zu haben, so würde meine Familie und ich Ihnen sehr dankbar dafür sein. Ich würde mich sehr freuen mit Ihnen in einen Briefwechsel zu treten. Gern würde ich Ihnen xxx über unsere familiären und wirtschaftlichen Verhältnisse berichten, aber ich weiß es nicht, ob es Ihnen xxx ist. In der Hoffnung, bald Nachricht von Ihnen zu erhalten grüße ich Sie herzlichst Gertrud Schiwietz geb Lubinski It is thus, in essence, a letter to a distant relative in America asking for a food parcel in the post war period when food was rationed in Germany. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-german-letter-translation/715509/7 "2015-03-21T03:14:41Z")
Thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Alas\_Earwax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@Alas\_Earwax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alas_Earwax)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-german-letter-translation/715509/8 "2015-03-21T18:39:20Z")
My German isn’t all that good any more but I used to try to decipher letters written in this script several years ago when I was doing some genealogy research. I think I may be able to fill in a few of the words. I kind of miss the genealogy research, so this is a good excuse to try my hand at reading this script again. I will defer to Schnitte’s translation. I think it definitely captures the tone of the letter. I think it is interesting that apparently the writer got the recipient’s address through their mother’s sister, Aunt Sister Adalbert – supposedly she was a nun? Anyway, I put my guesses at some of the words Schnitte wasn’t sure of in parentheses. I think it is safe to say that life in the Russian Zone in 1949 was pretty rough. \*Werter Mr. Adams! Durch meinen (Tante Schwester) Adalbert, es ist (Die Schw(ester)) meiner verstorbenen Mutter Maria Lubinski, habe ich Ihre (werte) Adresse erfahren. (Sie werden wahrscheinlich) sehr überrascht (sein), (Du) wir nie voneinander etwas gehört haben, (an Sie schreiben). Wie unser verwandtschaftliches Verhältnis ist, weiß ich nicht, nehme aber an, dass Ihre Frau eine Cousine von mir ist. Fassen Sie es bitte nicht falsch auf, dass ich in dieser schweren Zeit an Sie schreibe, aber die Not hier in Deutschland ist dermaßen groß, (was Sie) (vielleicht auch wissen), dass ich mit diesem Bittschreiben an Sie herantrete. Sollte es Ihnen vielleicht möglich sein, irgend etwas an Lebensmittel übrig zu haben, so würde meine Familie und ich Ihnen sehr dankbar dafür sein. Ich würde mich sehr freuen mit Ihnen in einen Briefwechsel zu treten. Gern würde ich Ihnen (auch vieles) über unsere familiären und wirtschaftlichen Verhältnisse berichten, aber ich weiß es nicht, ob es Ihnen (angewiesen) ist. In der Hoffnung, bald Nachricht von Ihnen zu erhalten grüße ich Sie herzlichst Gertrud Schiwietz geb Lubinski Meine Addresse ist: Frau Gertrud Schiwietz 19a Halle an der Saale Krondorfurtstr. 9 II Rüssische Zone\* ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-german-letter-translation/715509/9 "2015-03-21T19:44:42Z")
You guys rock. I have a question. Why is the “Mr. Adams” in the greeting written in non-Kurrent (closer to our own) script? Was it a custom to render non-German words in a non-German script? ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-german-letter-translation/715509/10 "2015-03-21T20:55:45Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I have a question. Why is the “Mr. Adams” in the greeting written in non-Kurrent (closer to our own) script? Was it a custom to render non-German words in a non-German script? Yes, it was, but the exact policies varied a bit. Some people used Latin script for all non-German material, others only for non-Germanic material. Obviously Latin and other romance languages were the textbook candidates for Latin script. However occasionally it was simply used to distinguish proper nouns regardless of origin.