Upcoming Genealogy Program
January 2026
Good Afternoon: The month of January 2026 will feature an important research program related to anyone performing Germanic genealogical research. Our topic will be on the challenges related to German handwriting.
Topic: Getting Through That Awful German Handwriting
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Time: 10am-11:15am
Location: South Building Meeting Rooms AB – 1651 Lee Street, Fort Myers, FL 33901
Speaker: Ken Weaver - Lee County Genealogy Society - German Roots Group SIG Leader
Synopsis: Reading old German handwriting, primarily Kurrentschrift and Sütterlinschrift, is hard due to different letter forms, confusing similarities (like 'e' and 'n'), unique abbreviations, and the shift away from these scripts after the 1940s, making it a challenge even for modern Germans.
The worst part of dealing with German records is that the handwriting is so much different than what Americans were taught in school. This session will provide some direction and clues to help researchers decipher the German script.
If for any reason you encounter issues with registering for the program, feel free to contact me at the following email address bmulcahy@leegov.com. I'll register you and send the confirmation to your email address. Feel free to contact me with any questions. Thank you for your continued support.
Bryan L. Mulcahy
Reference-Genealogy Librarian
Fort Myers Regional Library
bmulcahy@leegov.com
12/16/2025