Sütterlin Script

Learning to read old German handwriting

The term Sütterlin covers the handwriting styles commonly used in Germany during the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1911, the graphic artist Ludwig Sütterlin (1865–1917) was commissioned to develop a standardised style for German handwriting.

The Sütterlin script is named after him and was taught in German schools during the 1920s and 30s. In 1941, however, it was banned by decree.

This old German cursive script is sure to push more than a few researchers to their limits. But if you're doing genealogical research and want to read old letters, documents or records, there's no way around learning to deal with it.

Text Excerpt from a Document

The handwriting, unfortunately, isn't always as neat as in this fairly legible résumé.
Try decoding it yourself using the letter table below. It's really not as hard as it looks!

"We all want to know who we are and where we come from. No matter what we achieve in life, without that knowledge an emptiness remains in us, a sense of rootlessness."(Alex Haley)