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Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: dakrause on Saturday 04 August 18 00:47 BST (UK)
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I thought this handwriting was persian, but my Iranian friend said it is not persian and is probably "jewish". Can anyone kindly tell me what it says?
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I'm afraid I can't help in any positive way. But with some knowledge of Hebrew and rather less of Yiddish, I don't recognise either of those languages in this extract.
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I'm with Bookbox on this one.
Some of the letters bear a passing resemblance to cursive Hebrew. But I cannot make out any words.
Is is perhaps shorthand? Or do you know that it comes from the Middle East?
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When I saw this I also thought it's a shorthand - partly because of the very emphasised commas and semi-colons. Also the number of horizontal strokes which remind me of shorthand, as well a the long u-shaped symbol at the right end of the second line which looks somehow familiar.
Also it does not look like a right-to-left writing which rules out Hebrew/Yiddish as well as Arabic.
Of course it could be a non-English shorthand which would make identification more complicated.
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Nothing so exotic as Persian, it's German shorthand.
Regards Peonie
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German shorthand is certainly possible. It came from the German side of my family, my best guess was that it was associated to the purchase of a room-sized carpet in Bremen in 1921.
Thank you Peonie! "Jetzt muss ich finden was da geschrieben ist!"
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I am sorry, but my shorthand is not very good anymore. You could ask Berlin Bob to post it on the German Site.
No mention of carpets, I think it is not from 1921 , but much later. Could be from the writings of Helmuth James Graf von Moltke.
Regards Peonie
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Thanks Peonie, my great aunt was involved with one of the July 20 1944 conspirators (Klausing), I wonder if it might have been something he gave her.
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Graf von Moltke was a very prolific writer. His letters from prison were published after his wife Freya died in 2010.
Perhaps you find more in your great aunt's belongings. Very sad, but also interesting.
Oh, a bit late, but welcome to Rootschat. You have now 3 posts and can send a private message to Bob. You find him on the Europe Board.
Regards Peonie
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Hello dakrause,
I have just edited your topic heading and moved it to our Europe board, hopefully there maybe a reader who understands German shorthand.
Regards
Sarah :)
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Thank you @Sarah!
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Hi dakrause
I have added a link to your topic to a german family history forum.
http://forum.genealogy.net/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=72623
There are several members there, who are also members of RootsChat.
If anybody there can help, they may answer here directly or in the german forum.
I'll copy any replies in the german forum here for you (and for others who are now curious and are watching this topic :) ).
regards,
Bob
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Looks like Peonie is right !
Animei from the german forum has confirmed this :)
es ist deutsche Kurzschrift.
Das ist der Text (die "gute Marie" steht in dem Steno-Text allerdings nicht):
She added an image of the quote, which I am including here.
regards,
Bob
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Thank you Animei via Berlin Bob!
Courtesy of OCR:
"Laß dir's gesagt sein, gute Marie, daß Freundlichkeit gegen jedermann die erste Lebensregel ist, die uns manchen Kummer sparen kann, und daß du selbst gegen die, welche dir nicht gefallen, verbindlich sein kannst, ohne falsch und unwahr zu werden. Die wahre Höflichkeit und der feinste Weltton ist die angeborene Freundlichkeit eines wohlwollenden Herzens."
And Google Translate:
"Let it be said to you, good Marie, that kindness to everyone is the first rule of life, which can save us many sorrows, and that you yourself may be obligated against those who do not please you without being false and untrue. The true courtesy and the finest world tone is the innate friendliness of a benevolent heart."
My great aunt was a secretary at the German embassy in Madrid during WW2, I wonder if she was just practicing her shorthand.
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Sorry I picked the wrong Graf von Moltke. Still struggling with the shorthand and the text in the quote.
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It's a worthwhile saying to live by.
Regards Peonie