Re: Need translation for "Gothic" German #translation #poland #warsaw


Jx. Gx.
 

Hello Rachel,

The term "Gothic German" really refers to an ancient language that was spoken centuries ago, as opposed to Gothic letters such as a print type. Given the date of your letters, I'm thinking you really mean Sütterlin German. From about the time of World War I until 1941 when it was banned by the Nazis, Sütterlin was taught in almost all the German schools.  Could at least one of your letters have been written in that form of German? Maybe. Most young Germans today would probably have a difficult time reading Sütterlin, if at all. Keep in mind also there are numerous German dialects even in the contemporary language. For instance, in the north some people speak a Platt Deutsch (German). In parts of the south the Swabian dialect can be heard.  Its anyone's guess what dialect or proper German the author of these letter spoke and whether he was using a dialect in at least one of these letters familiar to German-speaking people in Poland.

Jeffrey Gee
Arizona    

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