German to English Certified Translation

Why German Translation Is Different

Most German documents we translate use standard modern German, printed or typed, no different from any other Latin-script language. Some, especially civil records from before the 1940s, are handwritten in older German scripts that take specific training to read.

German civil records from before roughly the 1940s are sometimes handwritten in Kurrent or Sutterlin, older German scripts that look quite different from modern German handwriting. Even people who read modern German fluently often can't read these scripts without specific training, since the letterforms themselves changed, not just the style of writing.

Article 116(2) and German Citizenship Restoration

This comes up more than you might expect, because of Article 116(2) of Germany's Basic Law. Article 116(2) restores German citizenship to descendants of people who were denaturalized by the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945, and Section 15 of Germany's Nationality Act, in force since August 2021, expanded who qualifies further. Both provisions mean people researching this part of their family history often need older German civil, naturalization, or denaturalization records translated, sometimes handwritten in exactly the older scripts described above. The Arolsen Archives, the International Center on Nazi Persecution, has more detail on who Section 15 specifically covers.

This page explains what these laws are and why older documents come up in this context. It does not, and can't, tell you whether you personally qualify. That's a legal question for an immigration or citizenship attorney. We handle the translation once you know which documents you need.

Common German Documents We Translate

Naturalization and denaturalization records in particular come up often for Article 116(2) cases, and these are sometimes the oldest, hardest to read documents in a family's collection. Our translators are experienced with both the older scripts and the historical terminology these records use.

German Script and Naming Conventions

Modern German uses standard Latin script, printed or typed, no different from English in terms of layout.

• Kurrent was the everyday handwritten script used in German-speaking countries roughly until the 1940s
• Sutterlin was a related script taught in German schools in the early 20th century, similar enough to Kurrent to cause the same reading difficulty
• Older documents printed in Fraktur, an ornate typeface once standard in German printing, also require specific familiarity to read accurately

Explore More Language & Document Pages

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