ROOTS & BRANCHES

German-language translator Katherine Schober, who trades as SK Translations, has been quickly developing a well-deserved reputation as a “go-to” person for translating genealogy documents.

And now she’s making a name for herself in the curriculum field by creating courses that aim to let students get inside her knowledge of the language and especially the old handwritten German script.

Schober’s “Reading the Old German Handwriting Online Course” is a self-paced primer that offers many styles of learning for each student to match with his or her own style—everything from video lectures, flashcards, matching games and practice problems are included.

In addition to buying the entire course, Schober also has three sub-courses that allow the users to target their learning to their particular needs and pocketbook.

In “Level 1: How to Read the Alphabet of the Old German Handwriting: Learn to Recognize the Individual Letters of the Old German Script,” people who are just starting out and want to learn the alphabet get their feet wet.

The “Level 2: How to Recognize the Most Important Vocabulary in the Old German Script: If you know the words, it all gets easier!” is designed for students who already know the alphabet or feel happy working with a key and want to recognize the vocabulary you need to decipher the most important facts of your genealogy document.

For “Level 3: Deciphering Records in German Genealogy: Practice Vital Records, Church Records, and Letters to Improve Your Deciphering Skills,” those who feel confident with the alphabet and vocabulary, but want a bit of practice get real-life practice vital records, church records, and letters, are challenged.

To enroll in Schober’s handwriting course, go to the URL, https://german-handwriting.teachable.com/p/home?affcode=316145_shdu5mb2

***

Dirk Weissleder, the chair of the German genealogy umbrella organization DAGV and the second vice president for the International German Genealogy Partnership, is getting a promotion.

Actually, it’s an additional post because Weissleder was elected new general secretary of the World Federation of Genealogy and Heraldry (known by its French initials CIGH for Confédération Internationale de Généalogie et d`Héraldique) while keeping his offices with DAGV and the German partnership.

Weissleder is the first German to hold the position of general secretary of the world federation, which was founded in 1971 in Brussels and has its headquarters in Paris. The federation’s aim is the international exchange, networking and cooperation between groups in the fields of genealogical and heraldic research and studies.

“Genealogy and heraldry are currently facing undreamt-of challenges that are very similar worldwide despite all their differences,” Weissleder said in his inaugural speech. “The question arises: Why do I need associations when I get ‘everything’ on the Internet? And in

addition, genealogy and heraldry often present themselves internationally as unconnected islands.”