A challenge - who can help decipher an old handwritten text in German - Page 4

Rangatiranui · #61 21.03.2011, 15:40

	Quote:	Captain Greybeard
	Finding such slips somewhere behind old panelling or under wood floors is not that unsual.

.. it is where i come from..
there the "peace treaty" with the natives was signed a year before this letter was written!

There are not any houses that are that old(!)

(love the story Blue

)

love your finds too, Grey. I go with your OH on this one

cannut · #62 21.03.2011, 15:45

	Quote:	Longbyt
	The original Title to this Thread yesterday evening was - 'Translation help needed' - and singularly lacking in imagination. After a full hour there was but a single reply and there was a real danger that it would slide off the front page into oblivion... Mod Longbyt rushed into action - her act a stroke of genius. The title was changed to an eye-catching challenge and the result is sensational.

Number one Mod.

Faltrad · #63 21.03.2011, 17:16

	Quote:	armandair
	This is what I call Swiss efficiency 11.30 Sent to Historical Museum Luzern 11.45 Answer received: Here we go and no it's not a love letter: Text outside: BILTEN. Abzugeben an Streit Jochen in Elm. Inside: Den 27ten Weinmonat (Oktober) 1841. Werther Freund. Da ich mich besonnen habe, einen Knecht zu haben, so will ich dich durch bar Buchstaben berichten. Wen Du noch Lust habst und nicht versetz bist, so will ich dir bis künftigen Sontig als 31ten zuwarten ist es möglich so kannst vorher. Bescheint Jakob Blunn (?) in Bilten Do I get my present now

This is exactly my translation... I didn't want to sound immodest, but I had no doubts.
Nice to have it confirmed for the general public.

#64 21.03.2011, 17:59

	Quote:	Faltrad
	This is exactly my translation... I didn't want to sound immodest, but I had no doubts. Nice to have it confirmed for the general public.

Nice that the Historical Museum is along your lines

It's always a compliment.

Sky · #65 21.03.2011, 19:12

In regards to Streit Jochen, consider that Jochen is the diminutive of the name Johann or Johannes. So you're looking for a Johann Streit who lived in Elm.

Captain Greybeard · #66 21.03.2011, 19:27

	Quote:	Sky
	In regards to Streit Jochen, consider that Jochen is the diminutive of the name Johann or Johannes. So you're looking for a Johann Streit who lived in Elm.

Sorry Sky, but Jochen usually is a German variant of Joachim, which has nothing to do with Johannes etc., except it also is derived from Jahwe.

Sky · #67 21.03.2011, 20:28

	Quote:	Captain Greybeard
	Sorry Sky, but Jochen usually is a German variant of Joachim, which has nothing to do with Johannes etc., except it also is derived from Jahwe.

Yup, I agree, but some of the German geneaology seem to point to Jochen as the diminutive of Johann. I stand corrected Captain, as my German is very poor.

bigblue2 · #68 28.03.2011, 16:59

some more of the stuff we have found so far

Some more stuff found in the house

bigblue2 · #69 02.03.2012, 14:39

A quick update on this:

After a second meeting with the old guy who's family used to own the house, and being shown part of his family tree, it would appear that the letter was addressed to Joachim, not Jochen, the Streit part is not the surname, but the name of the area of Elm where the house is, and the guy was indeed a farmer

.