Can you translate this old postcard from german to english?

January 6, 2021 3:13 AM

I've been doing some work on tracing my family tree and need this postcard translated from german to english.

I've uploaded some images here:
https://imgur.com/a/SjPFe8q

The postcard is so old that the the ink has bled a little making it hard to decipher. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

posted by MT to Writing & Language (10 answers total)

Wow - good luck! I can't make much out of it but it seems like a formal greeting, hello from ?Hamburg? and at the end say they have taken a new room. Will be watching to see if anyone else makes more progress!
posted by london explorer girl at 3:46 AM on January 6, 2021

The first line "Lb. A." means "Dear A." -- but I will need a bigger screen than this phone to make out any more.
posted by wenestvedt at 4:30 AM on January 6, 2021

The German text is:

Liebe A.,

Komme voraussichtlich mit dem Mittagszug am Samstag (Regen, ab 13° [?]) nach Passau. Falls Du am Bahnhof mich nicht erwarten könntest, erfahre ich wohl alles Nähere bei Fr. V. Könntest du mir wohl ein Zimmer für eine Nacht besorgen?

Herzlichst deine Mitzi.

Which means:

Dear A., I expect to be coming to Passau by the afternoon train on Saturday (The one o'clock pm train from Regen ) . In case you can't meet me at the train station, I'll surely learn further details from Frau V. Could you take care of [procuring] a room for me for one night? Cordially, your Mitzi.

Note: the mark I transcribe as a degree sign ° might well be something else. I've never run across this usage of a degree sign, in an expression I'm pretty sure here is giving the hour of the day. So probably, even, something else.

What I translate as '... learn further details ...' might be better translated as '... learn as much ...' which might make more sense here, though it's not usual; I'm not really sure.

Note also: The handwriting in this card is in the German gothic script which is no longer used by German speakers today. (I find it extremely beautiful!)
posted by bertran at 4:44 AM on January 6, 2021

Oh, also, the header says the card was written in Kirchdorf on Sept. 8th 1948.
posted by bertran at 4:58 AM on January 6, 2021

Regarding the bit transcribed by bertran as "13°" - I've seen times (not in German) written with the minutes as superscript, and I read it as "1310", with the "10" as a superscript as I think there is a tiny line to the left of the "°".
Given that we are now over 72 years late to meet MT's relative at the station, this is probably splitting hairs.
posted by Vortisaur at 7:04 AM on January 6, 2021

The other thing I could see the "13°" be written as would be "13^h" (see "Volkstümliche Schreibweise" -- "h" would mean "Uhr" or "o'clock" in this case), which is admittedly a stretch, but people have their own styles and it could be a possible explanation given how much the ink has bled.

"Regen" in this context is very likely Regensburg, which is about an hour's train ride from Passau today and jibes with the idea that someone would only stay for one evening.
posted by kdar at 7:12 AM on January 6, 2021

Thank you so much bertran, that is incredibly kind and helpful! And thanks everyone else for your insights.
posted by MT at 11:18 AM on January 6, 2021

It’s addressed “b. Fr. Viehböck” which would mean c/o Frau Viehböck, who I presume is the Frau V. mentioned.

There is a Kirchdorf near Regen rather than Regensburg which might be the right one.
posted by scorbet at 11:54 AM on January 6, 2021

Dang, that's some good context, as well as good reading & translation. Very impressive!

(And yes, I forgot to come back to help.)
posted by wenestvedt at 11:55 AM on January 6, 2021

Wikipedia says that there's been a rail line with scheduled service between Regensburg and Passau since the late 19th century. Pretty amazing. However, I do wonder if there wasn't also a train from the similarly named town of Regen. No such service appears to exist today. But after all, this is the country that brought us the rich variety of confusion caused by having both Frankfurt am Main and Frankfurt am Oder.
posted by wnissen at 12:52 PM on January 7, 2021