Old German Letters,
Now in English
Your great-grandparents wrote in Kurrent or Sütterlin — scripts almost no one can read today. Upload a photo and get a clear English translation in minutes. Share their stories with your whole family.
Drop a photo of your old letter here
or click to select — free & no sign-up required
No credit card needed — try first, decide later. After signing up, you can upload multiple pages at once.
Your ancestors' immigrant letters, finally readable
Thousands of families in the US, Canada, and Australia inherited letters written in Kurrent or Sütterlin — German scripts that almost nobody can read today. Whether your great-grandparents wrote from Hamburg to relatives in Pennsylvania, or from Bavaria to a new home in Ohio, those letters deserve to be understood.
GermanLetters unlocks them — via AI in just minutes, or by expert human transcribers for the most challenging documents. With automatic English translation included.
Everything you need to unlock an old letter
From photograph to English text — simple, personal, and built for the families who treasure these documents most.
Upload Multiple Pages at Once
Upload up to 20 photos of your letters or a multi-page PDF at once. All pages are processed together — giving the AI more context for better results.
Three Text Versions
Original transcription, AI-completed, and free interpretation: choose how close to the original you want. Ideal for family research, genealogy, or gifting.
Edit Text Directly
Adjust all versions in your browser — fix typos, fill gaps. Your changes are saved. Full control over the final result.
Export: PDF, Image, Text
Beautiful PDF with cover page for printing and gifting, image download per page, or plain text file. Use the transcription however you like.
Magnifier for Hard-to-Read Passages
Old letters often have faded or smudged sections. The built-in magnifier with adjustable zoom helps you compare original and transcription side by side.
English Translation Included
Get the Kurrent or Sütterlin handwriting transcribed into modern German — and automatically translated into English or 30+ other languages. In the same step, at no extra cost.
Listen & Gift
Have transcriptions read aloud with 6 different voices and 4 reading styles as an audio file — the perfect gift for elderly relatives or family reunions.
Trained on the scripts German immigrants used
From the 1880s through the 1950s, German immigrants wrote letters home in scripts that look like beautiful mysteries today. Our AI was specifically trained on these handwriting styles to decode every word accurately.
- Kurrent script — used from ca. 1850 to 1940
- Sütterlin — taught in schools from 1915
- Fraktur calligraphy
- Post-war transition handwriting
From German script to English text — automatically
We transcribe the Kurrent or Sütterlin handwriting into modern German, then translate it directly into English — or any of 30+ other languages. One upload, one result. So American, Australian, and Canadian families can finally read what was written, no matter how long ago.
Automatic translation is included with AI transcription (AI Instant).
Original Text (German)
„Heute war ein wunderschöner Tag. Die Kinder spielten im Garten und Großmutter brachte Kuchen."
Translation (English)
"Today was a beautiful day. The children played in the garden and grandmother brought cake."
Hear your ancestor's letter read aloud — as a gift or keepsake
Once transcribed and translated, bring the letter to life as an audio file. Gift it to a parent or grandparent, play it at a family reunion, or keep it as a lasting memory. Choose a voice and reading style to hear how it sounds.
- 6 different voices — female and male
- 4 reading styles: factual, audiobook, slow & clear, emotional
- Listen directly and download as MP3
- Works with translations too
1 page per 1,000 characters — available in the app after transcription.
From old letter to English text in three steps
No prior knowledge of German scripts needed — just a photo of the letter.
Photograph your letter
Snap a photo or scan the pages — individually or as a multi-page PDF. Even worn, faded letters work well.
Preview for free
The first 3 pages are free. Tip: uploading multiple pages together helps the AI understand context better.
Get your English text
Done! You receive the transcription and English translation — ready to read, print, or share with family.
AI for most letters — human experts for the rest
Fast and affordable via AI — or with personal consultation from our specialists for particularly difficult or damaged immigrant documents.
AI Transcription
- Fast — results in minutes
- Affordable — from $0.49 from $0.22 per page
- Ideal for well-readable handwriting
- Translation into 30+ languages included
Expert Service
- Human specialist for historical scripts
- Highest accuracy, even for hard-to-read documents
- Scholarly-diplomatic transcription available
- Personal consultation and individual quote
Pay only for what you need — Now with Spring Sale!
Up to 55% off AI transcription — limited time only.
Pay only for the pages you need. No subscription. Your credits never expire. Prices shown before applicable sales tax.
AI Instant
Instant
- Import images/PDFs
- 3 text versions
- Edit text
- Export (images/PDF)
- Print layout
- Translation into 30+ languages
Optional: Listen & download (1 page / 1,000 characters)
AI Verified
2–3 business days
- Import images/PDFs
- 3 text versions
- Edit text
- Export (images/PDF)
- Print layout
- AI + expert correction
- Verified
Subject to review. Not all transcriptions are suitable for this. We will check after your request whether the AI quality is sufficient for correction.
Expert
5–7 business days
- Import images/PDFs
- 3 text versions
- Edit text
- Export (images/PDF)
- Print layout
- Human transcription
- Highest quality
- Even difficult documents
- Personal consultation
Page packages for AI Instant are available after signing up in the app.