ROOTS & BRANCHES

Sure, I’ve written in “Roots & Branches” about Katherine Schober before but the translator, author and educator has renamed her business and continued to create an inviting and vibrant community based on what could be a dry subject—the archaic German cursive script used in old church records.

The center point of her community is her business website, now known as “Germanology Unlocked!” The URL for her new site is https://germanologyunlocked.com.

Schober describes “Germanology” as a blend of “German” and “genealogy,” and she adds “unlocked” to mix as nod that by learning to read the records and documents of your ancestors, you’ll be able to better understand all the stories about your family’s past. Indeed, genealogy in the 21st century is all about going beyond names and dates and getting to know your forebears in more detail.

“One of my favorite parts of my job is seeing how excited you all are to discover your ancestors’ stories, and I love helping you find the specific keys to do so,” Schober notes on her website. “Here’s to a new chapter of working with you!”

Germanology Unlocked includes a whole suite of products and services that Schober has developed, previously under the trade name SK Translations, to assist researchers of German speaking people—including courses, books, webinars, and a membership.

Schober’s courses include the “Reading the Old German Handwriting Online Course,” which is an interactive and comprehensive course that includes flashcards, matching games, quizzes, vocabulary lists, and actual practice records. A “German Language for Genealogists” course is coming soon.

In terms of books, Schober has Tips and Tricks of Deciphering German Handwriting for $18 and The Magic of German Church Records: Finding the Key to Your Ancestor’s Past for $39. Both prices include shipping and can be autographed upon request.One of the best features of the latter book is that it includes the German transcriptions and English translations of multiple sample records—as well as comprehensive German vocabulary lists with handwritten examples of these important genealogy words.

There’s a free webinar about German genealogy on Schober’s site, along with the opportunity to schedule a topic-specific webinar for your own genealogy society.

Schober also offers memberships for a monthly subscription fee with varying benefits, including a Premium Gold membership that includes a weekly “Ask-the-Translator” Hour.

This is Schober’s weekly “office hour” in which Premium Gold members can ask questions about difficult words on a German document in a private Facebook group, currently 1 p.m. EDT on Wednesdays. In addition to getting the benefits of Schober’s experience, the Premium Gold members frequently chime in and build their own expertise!

Of course, Schober still offers to help clients discover their family stories through high-quality German to English genealogical translations of anything from church records to personal letters.