

Translation
Lost in translation? Are squiggly lines, ink blotches and funny looking letters giving you the blues? Handwritten German and even old German type can be difficult to read but I’ve got you covered!

Local Services
Has your genealogy trail gone cold? In need of an on-site detective? Many German-language records, especially those found in churches, have not been digitized. If you need boots-on-the-ground to pick up the trail, I’m your gal! Experience the adventure of researching your ancestors from the comfort of your living room! I will visit churches, town halls and archives in the quest for more information about your ancestors. My journey will be documented for you via photographs and, where they exist, documents translated for you into English. For the truly adventurous, I can customize an itinerary that allows you to experience the world of your ancestors first-hand!
Why Tintenflecken?
Tintenflecken means ink spots or ink splotches in German. Old German documents are filled with ink splotches and blobs thanks to the use of fountain pens. However, Tintenflecken also helps bring to mind one of the most famous ink splotches in German language history. Luther lore has it that while translating the Bible into everyday German, Martin Luther threw his ink well at Satan to keep him at bay. His throw left behind the famous “Tintenfleck,” still barely visible on the wall of his small study at the castle Wartburg where Luther completed one of the world’s most impressive works of translation.
About Amy
Amy Koppe has degrees in German (4.0 GPA) and International Studies as well as a master’s degree in education. Her family has lived in the United States and in Germany and speaks German and English at home. They have family ties to Thuringia (Thueringen), Bavaria (Bayern) and Schleswig-Holstein, representing a wide variety of dialects and cultural experiences.
Amy has experience translating many documents including:
- Birth, baptismal, marriage and death certificates from as far back as the mid-1500’s
- WWII memoirs from German soldiers
- Letters between family members living in Germany and in the United States
- Letters and family documents originating in East Prussia
- Entries in church books and family Bibles
- Pedigrees from German Shepherds
Translation Services
Historic documents hold the key to your genealogical research – but only if you can read them! I can decipher typeset, Fraktur (old German typeset), and old German handwritten script. Send me scans or photographs of your documents and I will provide you a synopsis or a word-for-word translation (your choice).
What I translate:
- Birth, baptismal, marriage and death certificates
- Journals, diaries and memoirs
- Letters
- Church book entries
- Newspaper articles
- Scrapbooks
- Captions on backs of photographs
- Census Entries
- Animal pedigrees
- Modern German correspondence on your behalf
Rates:
- Simple 1-page typed form or certificate with handwritten entries: $10 each for synopsis, $20 each page for a word for word translation
- Letters, journals, memoirs: price varies depending on length and legibility – please email me for a quote
Local Research Services
The following services are available:
- Correspondence with archives, churches, county seats and governments in the German-speaking world
- Visits to archives and churches in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and areas that were once German-speaking to research non-digitalized documents
- Visits to towns and villages in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and areas that were once German-speaking to take pictures
- English to German and German to English correspondence needed for the purpose of genealogical research
- Assistance in organizing and developing itineraries for those who would like to visit the towns of their ancestors
Experience the adventure of researching your ancestors from the comfort of your living room! I will visit churches, town halls and archives in the quest for more information about your ancestors. My journey will be documented for you via photographs and, where they exist, documents translated for you into English. I am currently building my travel calendar for 2022. Please send a request for me to visit the town of your ancestors!
For the truly adventurous, I can customize an itinerary that allows you to experience the world of your ancestors first-hand! We can work together to customize your trip to the German-speaking world including stopovers in the towns of your ancestors. I am also available to translate for you while you are in the country.