Postcard from Wolyn.. translation if possible..

Hi all,
I have found a postcard in my grandparents photo collection, it has been sent from Kresy (Eastern Poland under Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time). Due to my limited German I can not make-out as to what's written on back of card, I would very much appreciate any help in translating the text..

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You might try a German family history page on Facebook.

This is your best source for info and help

olejow.pl/news.php

I will try both sources, I'm frustrated as my German language skills are in a very poor shape, Polish is good so if anyone needs help, please let me know..

I can't read the date on that postcard, but depending on when it was written, it might be hard to translate. I recently requested help in translating some German text from around 1940-1945, and a kind member here explained that it was written in old Sutterlin, and only very old Germans or Sutterlin enthusiasts would be able to translate it. Prior to Sutterlin, an old form of German language handwriting known as Kurrent was used. This was based on late medieval cursive writing. Normal German handwriting replaced Sutterlin in 1941.

Thank you so much for the info Chemikiem, adding those complexities to my limited knowledge of the language, means that I may not be able to decipher text for a while..

Don't give up. The member who helped me said there may be historical forums that specialise in translating old Sutterlin. Certainly worth investigating. What you really need to know though is whether that is Sutterlin,or Kurrent. Given that the postcard was sent from Kresy means that it isn't written in modern day German handwriting.

For a small fee people will help you out with translating old Sütterlin documents (handwriting AND language)...it's worth a try if it's important to you!

For example:

awo-ov-konstanz.de/suetterlin-schreibstube/

or

heinz-bernd.de/heinz_bernd/vorf_suetterlin/vorf_suetterlin.html

or

towener-lesebuch.de/transkription-uebersetzen-suetterlin/

If possible you would need a much better picture of your document....higher resolution, sharper for better reading. Good luck! :)

The quality of the scan is so low that you cannot tell if it's in Suetterlin or standard German. Even the date of the otherwise well preserved postal stamp is indiscernible.

Btw, I've just bought a letter posted in the year 1849 from Breslau to a nearby village for a bargain price. It hasn't arrived yet, but reading this thread here I have just realized it may be in Suetterlin too. Did people write in standard German as well at that time?

Do you collect such things, Ziemowit?

Sütterlin was the handwriting what was teached in the schools since about 1911....so, old people might have written differently by tradition, but otherwise I don't think so.

Not necessarily. But I am always eager to have a look into old documents.


And since the document was written in 1849, is it supposed to use the script other than Sütterlin?

Surely, I will try to put a scan of it here as soon as I get it.

Unfortunately I couldn't post high definition photos on the forum, it only allows images up to 120kb in size

Just received the translation, the hand written message says:

Liebe Eltern!
Teile Euch hiermit mei-
ne neue Adresse mit.
Königsjäger M. Fest
Reserve Dragoner Schützen-
Regiment No. 2.
4. E[...?]ad von Armeeabt. [Armeeabteilung]
Woyrsch Osten
Viele Grüße an Erich
_______________________

Dear parents!
I hereby inform you of my new address.
Rifleman to the King M. Fest
Reserve Dragoon Rifle Regiment No. 2
4th [?] of army division Woyrsch East
Many greetings to Erich

Cool! Congrats :)

Thanks, I'm so happy as this gets me closer to figuring out it's place in family's history..

Where did you get the info in the end it might help others.

Facebook: German Genealogy - Prussia, Austro-Hungary, Russia, Denmark, Swiss & more!

Thanks Tadoz

Good that you got the translation, nice to see a happy ending :)


Have a look at this article. It seems likely that your letter will be written in either Kurrent or Fraktur.

palaographie.hypotheses.org/1727#:~:text=The%20German%20cursive%20writing%2C%20called,beginning%20of%20the%2020th%20century.