Today’s post is about when to hire a translator.
Those of you who have been reading along know that I’ve been fumbling my way through German parish records for the first time, working on two of my family lines with some modest success.
To educate myself, I’ve been to many German genealogy sessions at conferences, bought (and read) books on German genealogy and history, used Web translators, pestered friends and relations who speak German, and referred to sites that interpret vintage handwriting. And all of those things were valuable and helped.
But sometimes the smartest and most effective thing is to hire a translator.
Last week, I found the marriage record (above) for my great-great grandparents, Friedrich Wilhelm Alexander KIRSCHSTEIN and Florentine Mathilde BRAUN. I could make out the date, the pastor, the names of Friedrich and Florentine and her father Heinrich, their ages, and the dates the banns were announced. And that was about it.
So I hired a pro and here’s the result:
No. 48 October 20th at 1 o’ clock in the afternoon
Pastor Haake
Mr. Friedrich Wilhelm Alexander KIRCHSTEIN, 31 years old, citizen and master soap maker, a bachelor from here, with Miss Florentine Mathilde BRAUN, 33 years old, 2nd unmarried daughter left behind by the deceased Mr. Heinrich BRAUN, former merchant, dyer of colored goods from here. Proclamation [on] the 3rd, 10th, and 17th of October.
And now you must excuse me – I have some new information to put in my tree!
UPDATE: I buckled down and took some classes and studied and now I can read my own German parish records. Like the book says, If I Can, You Can Decipher German Records. I think the biggest driver for me was impatience and wanting to read records immediately. And of course it helps not to have to pay someone!
I have made ‘genealogy’ friends and, though posting my family tree online, met distant cousins, one of which is German. He has helped me greatly in translating some german notes written on the back of photos. Luckily the Catholic church records I located on microfilm where easier to read once I understood a few key terms. The genealogy friend I mentioned first is a French-Canadian who also has been Extremely helpful in translating some of the very hard to read French records. Another good hint is to post the query on a board – I have had very good luck getting a Hungarian translation done that way. There are so many helpful people in our community. They are a blessing.
It’s fun to try to figure it out on your own, but you are right – sometimes it just pays to hire an expert!
It’s my pleasure, Greta. Do you do a lot of genealogical translating? Would you like to put your contact information up here?
Thank you for saying this – from a translator.
Yes, I was very pleasantly surprised. A friend got “soap boiler” for occupation, but that was about it. So all in all well worth finding a translator.
oh how cool is that! yay for translators.
Isn’t it wonderful that a marriage announcement would give so much information?