Kurrent
A flowing historical cursive used widely in German-speaking places over several centuries. Individual writers can make it look very different.
Learn old German handwriting
Don’t just translate the letter. Learn to read it.
Spitzfeder is a patient path into Kurrent, the historic German handwriting found in many letters and documents. Learn its shapes yourself, then bring that skill back to the records that matter to you.
US price: $8.99. Check your store for the final price, applicable taxes, and terms before purchase.
Reading begins with seeing
Train your eye before you tackle the family archive.
The first page of Kurrent may look impenetrable. Its letters are not a code to crack once; they are a handwritten system to get familiar with. Spitzfeder lets you learn gradually, in English, while the historical listening texts preserve their original German voice.
- Trace and write individual forms to understand how they are made.
- Compare Kurrent letters with their Latin equivalents.
- Read words and short passages before moving to denser sources.
- Practice on paper with the free printable workbook if you prefer a pen in hand.
A useful distinction
Kurrent is not every old German record.
Sütterlin
A later, simplified school style related to Kurrent. Its forms are related, but each hand and source still needs close reading.
Other hands
Records may use Latin cursive, Fraktur, printed type, or a mixture of scripts and languages. Each source deserves its own close look.
History carried in handwriting
Jacob, Gerhard, and the Stella.
Spitzfeder grew out of a family question: what did a great-great-grandfather write to his son before disappearing at sea? Captain Arend Jacob Högemann sailed the cargo ship Stella. His surviving letters, and later family writing by his son Gerhard, became a reason to learn the script rather than leave it unread.
A letter is more than information. Its pace, form, and effort can bring a distant person nearer.The starting point for Spitzfeder
See the app before you begin
A seafarer’s story. A family’s memory.
For many German immigrants, starting over meant leaving a familiar world behind. The letters they kept or sent home can preserve something personal: their hopes, everyday worries, and connections across an ocean. Our short film evokes that journey. Spitzfeder helps you take a practical next step—learning to read Kurrent in the papers that survive.
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Practical questions
What to expect when you start.
Do I need to know German?
No prior Kurrent knowledge is needed. Spitzfeder’s interface and learning introductions are in English. Some historical story and listening material remains in German, reflecting the source setting and offering a context for the script you are learning.
Will it read every old German document?
No. Spitzfeder teaches Kurrent through guided practice. Documents may be written in another hand or script, be partly illegible, or use historical language and spelling that need additional research.
How much does Spitzfeder cost?
The US price is $8.99. Buy through the App Store or Google Play; check the final price, applicable taxes, and terms in your store before purchase. The free workbook is a separate learning resource, not a free version of the app.
A companion for close reading
Make room for the slow, satisfying part.
There is no honest promise that an app will instantly decipher every ancestor’s hand. Spitzfeder gives you practice, reference points, and historical context. Your particular letter may still call for time, comparison, a second pair of eyes, or archival help—and that careful work is part of the connection.
Download the free Kurrent alphabetStart where the script starts
Learn the forms. Read the voices behind them.