Translating German or English Texts for Private Clients

A Personal Relationship

Whether you need a translation of a Christmas card or an autobiography, I will carry out any assignment confidentially, speedily and accurately at a price you can afford. You will deal with me directly, no calls being put on hold, no third parties involved unless the text has to be proof-read for publication.

Certified Translations

If you have lived in a German speaking country and have now moved (back) to the UK, you may have marriage, birth or divorce certificates that need translating into English. You may have worked or studied in a German speaking country and now have German language references and qualifications that in their current format are double-dutch to your UK employers. You may be toying with the idea of emigrating.

I have translated numerous exam certificates, employer’s references, official registry office certificates and court documents, and I certify translations on request. To my knowledge, every document certified by me in the past has been equally accepted by employers, British registrars and immigration authorities in Australia, Canada or New Zealand.

Buying something from Abroad?

Do you need help filling in forms? Want to make sure you understand the small print? Looking for something on the Internet but the site you are looking for is in German? Want to negotiate a purchase with a German speaking supplier but find it difficult to sort out the details? I'll happily be the intermediary who sorts out whatever needs to be sorted, methodically and thoroughly at a fair hourly rate.

Help with Family History Research

If you can trace back your family to German origins, you may need help with documents written in German or English. Whether you simply want confirmation of your interpretation of a record, whether you have a handwritten letter or a beautifully printed autobiography (unfortunately in a language you do not speak), whatever source you need translating between English and German, I shall be pleased to help at a mutually agreeable price.

I would also be willing and able to assist you directly with your family research, whether you would like German sites searched for certain names or details, need an address in a German speaking country or the translation of a list of words so that you can do your own research. I am very flexible and very diligent in my research. I can also read through documents and just give you the bare facts, if that is what you require or make a phone call to clarify some information. I am happy to help you in any way possible with the use of the Internet or a telephone line.

Vocabulary you may come across during your research in German records:
Todesurkunde, Abschrift aus dem Sterberegister, Totenzettel, Sterbezettel, Trauerzettel, Totenbilder, Sterbebilder; Stammbaumblatt, Fotos, Autobiographien, persönliche Aufzeichnungen, Chroniken, Ahnen- und Sippentafeln, Leichenpredigt; Taufzeugnis, Taufschein; Trauschein, Heiratsurkunde; Hochzeitsgedicht, Grabplatte.
Familienanzeigen: Geburtsanzeigen, Heiratsanzeigen, Todesanzeigen, Anzeigen von Verlobungen, Kommunionen, Konfirmationen, Jugendweihen, Jubiläen und erfolgreich bestandenen Prüfungen.

For German-English translations of these terms please refer to my German-English Genealogy Dictionary/Glossary/Thesaurus.

Click on English-German translations of family history related terms to find German translations, synonyms, explanations and some historical background. I have included a large number of translations of possible sources for your genealogy research and have researched genealogy pages for appropriate terms. If you cannot find a specific term, please contact me and I will try to find you an English or a German translation or at least a definition.