Any Information On This German Alphabet?

[proton007]

I found this in an old German Grammar book by Longman (quite old, the publication date states 1893).

 

It has this alphabet in the first few pages:

 

 

Can anyone tell me more about this alphabet? It's quite different from the 'modern German'.

Edited April 23, 2014 by proton007

[daoud62]

Yes, it's called Fraktur (sometimes also erroneously called Gothic). It was the penmanship taught to Germans of my grandmother's generation. In the 1930s, the German government moved away from it, although people continued to use it.

[KateGladstone]

Fraktur wasn't finally abolished in Germany, though, till 1941 — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiqua–Fraktur_dispute

[RuiFromUK]

If anyone would like more writing samples and information (in German) here is a website:

 

http://deutsche-kurrentschrift.de/index.php?s=abc_fraktur

 

and also here

 

http://homepage.univie.ac.at/walter.dietrich/deutsche.html

 

Although my German is very weak I find them very useful for the sample alphabets for one to practice at home.

[ehemem]

Yes, it's called Fraktur (sometimes also erroneously called Gothic). It was the penmanship taught to Germans of my grandmother's generation. In the 1930s, the German government moved away from it, although people continued to use it.

 

This looks more like a cursive called Kurrent rather than Fraktur.

Edited April 23, 2014 by ehemem

[pmhudepo]

 

This looks more like a cursive called Kurrent rather than Fraktur.

 

I think you are right; see for instance this Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurrent

[proton007]

Thanks for the links!

Somehow the script looks more 'German' than the latin counterpart.

 

Also has some great flex potential, almost like Spencerian.

[mirosc]

Also has some great flex potential, almost like Spencerian.

Indeed, the grandparents can sing a song about how hard it was for a pupil to do the swellings right in Kurrent.

[trdsf]

I have an old (ca. 1900) German handwriting book that as I recall teaches this particular hand; I'll have to see if I can find it and do a couple scans.

[proton007]

Indeed, the grandparents can sing a song about how hard it was for a pupil to do the swellings right in Kurrent.

 

Haha, yes.

 

Interestingly, it seems to avoid all the shapes that need a circular and possibly, double movement, like a,p,g,d,q and o. Probably to prevent the paper from getting too soggy and losing structural integrity due to multiple passes.

 

Equally interesting why English didn't do away with those movements??

Edited April 27, 2014 by proton007

[proton007]

I have an old (ca. 1900) German handwriting book that as I recall teaches this particular hand; I'll have to see if I can find it and do a couple scans.

 

That would be great!

[mirosc]

Interestingly, it seems to avoid all the shapes that need a circular and possibly, double movement, like a,p,g,d,q and o. Probably to prevent the paper from getting too soggy and losing structural integrity due to multiple passes.

Actually that makes the Kurrent/Sütterlin so easy to write for long sessions. Because the movement is mostly just up and down and almost no curves - that's not only more convenient for the hand, but also faster.

Once I had a student taking his notes and writing his exams in Kurrent. It was quite some fun!

[trdsf]

 

That would be great!

 

I tried the exercises in it -- you want something eye-wrenching, imagine what the word 'minimum' must look like written in this style, before you dot the i's and put that little swoop over the u...

 

I still use some of the letter forms -- my minuscule 't' is more this style than the standard American, and my minuscule 'f' resembles this hand's 'h'.

[proton007]

Actually that makes the Kurrent/Sütterlin so easy to write for long sessions. Because the movement is mostly just up and down and almost no curves - that's not only more convenient for the hand, but also faster.

Once I had a student taking his notes and writing his exams in Kurrent. It was quite some fun!

 

Yes, after some trying, I feel it's rather easy on the hand, and looks nice too. I think I'll learn it for fun.

 

 

 

I tried the exercises in it -- you want something eye-wrenching, imagine what the word 'minimum' must look like written in this style, before you dot the i's and put that little swoop over the u...

 

I still use some of the letter forms -- my minuscule 't' is more this style than the standard American, and my minuscule 'f' resembles this hand's 'h'.

 

I tried it, not so bad, if you keep the spacing between the letters even.

Still better than writing it in Gothic.