The Stella departs New York
Jacob’s final voyage began with a destination in London. The exact fate of the ship and its crew remains unknown.
For American family historians
Your ancestor’s letter is still speaking.
Learn the old German handwriting in your family papers, one letter and one word at a time. Spitzfeder gives you a way to recognize the hand behind the family story.
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A family story across the Atlantic
When a son searched for news of his father.
In 1892, Captain Arend Jacob Högemann left New York aboard the Stella, bound for London. The sailing ship never arrived. His son Gerhard, a young seaman, carried the unanswered question across the Atlantic the following spring.
A household waits
Gerhard, his mother, and his younger brothers had no word. In later family writing, Gerhard remembered his father as a model for his own life.
Gerhard sails to New York
Family records place his first voyage after the disappearance on a route to New York. It is reasonable to wonder whether he hoped for news; the surviving record does not establish his motive or what he learned.
“I will never forget him until my dying day. He has been my role model in everything.”English translation of Gerhard Högemann’s later recollection of his father
A skill, not a shortcut
Bring your own letters to the table.
Kurrent can feel like a locked door at first. Spitzfeder builds the visual vocabulary that lets you slow down, compare forms, and make your own reading decisions. It is a learning app for Kurrent; family records can also use other scripts, printed type, or more than one language.
- Begin with letter forms, strokes, and recurring word shapes.
- Practice reading alongside writing, so the script becomes familiar to your eye.
- Work with historical-source exercises and German-language story texts in the app.
- Return to a treasured letter with more context and more patience.
A short film about family memory
The words we leave behind.
A letter tucked away in a box can open a window into an ancestor’s life. Our short film imagines one possibility: a relative’s letters from World War I. Your own family papers may tell a very different story. Learning Kurrent gives you a way to begin reading the handwriting—not just wondering what it says.
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A more grounded research companion
What Spitzfeder can—and cannot—do.
Teach the handwriting
Structured lessons build familiarity with Kurrent and closely related Sütterlin forms through active reading and writing.
Honor uncertainty
Old spelling, damage, unfamiliar names, and individual hands still take careful work. Ambiguity is part of archival reading.
Keep learning personal
Your family documents remain yours. Use the skill you build to look again at letters, notes, and records in your own time.
Can I use Spitzfeder with a letter I already own?
Yes. The app teaches the script separately, so you can return to your letter as your confidence grows. The letter itself may include unfamiliar spelling, personal abbreviations, damage, or another writing style, so reading it can still take time.
Is this a translation service?
No. Spitzfeder is a learning app. It teaches you to read and write Kurrent through exercises, historical-source practice, and stories; it does not automatically translate family documents.
Start with a first lesson
Read the handwriting yourself.