Germanology Unlocked
Featured on PBS’ Finding Your Roots, The History Channel, and More!
Uncover the Stories of Your Ancestors
Choose the option to best help you on your genealogy journey:
Translations
Discover your family’s story through our high-quality German to English genealogical translations (German handwriting included).
Courses
Empower yourself on your German genealogy journey by taking our interactive German handwriting and language classes.
Webinars
Watch a free webinar to learn more about German genealogy, or book a topic-specific webinar for your own genealogy society.
Membership
Subscribe and receive extra help on your German genealogical documents during our weekly “Ask-the-Translator” Hour.
Meet Katherine Schober, Founder and CEO
With more than a decade of experience professionally translating German to English, I love helping clients like you discover the fascinating lives of their German ancestors. Deciphering the old handwriting and finding the perfect words to unlock the secrets of your family letters, diaries, and records – as well as teaching you how to do it yourself – is something I truly enjoy.
Born in St. Louis, I earned my Master’s degree in the German language through Bowling Green State University/University of Salzburg. I then spent three additional years in Austria, teaching English and translating German (with a focus on history). In 2014, I moved back to the States with my Austrian husband, and, although we are now in America, German is still the main language spoken in our home. As a German-English genealogy translator and educator, I can happily say I love what I do.
Get Started on Your Genealogy!
Explore German Genealogy Resources:
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The Complete German Genealogy Course Collection
$1,333.00Original price was: $1,333.00.$997.00Current price is: $997.00. -
What Clients Are Saying:
So happy to finally receive a translation!! You don’t know how hard and long I tried to find someone capable. The places named in the letter will be so helpful in my genealogy search.
Thank you so much for the translation! Now I have the names of three of my paternal grandfather’s grandparents. This is the “brick wall” I’ve been trying to break through for a long time…many thanks for your prompt and professional work.
After my parents passed away, I discovered a letter written to my grandfather in 1930 from a nephew who lived in Germany. (My grandfather had immigrated in the 1890s). Because the letter was handwritten and in German, it was impossible for me to make out many of the letters/words; therefore, I looked for a way to get it translated. When I searched for someone reputable, I came across the website for SK Translations and after debating for a long time about the expenditure, as well as, dealing …
I had that hardest of genealogical roadblocks- someone who changed their name illegally and died with their secret. Katherine provided very careful and scholarly transcriptions and translations of some key documents. Mystery solved. My advice: engage a professional like Katherine and don’t guess at the content of Kurrent manuscripts when the result matters to you.
Great job. You have unlocked a mystery. The relationship between Ignatz and Mathaus was unclear until now. Thanks.
Thank you so much for doing my translation, I am thrilled to pieces and this afternoon I am going to send it off to all the family here in England and in Germany. How you translated that writing I just don’t know, but I suppose if you study languages it perhaps becomes a little easier! Many thanks again, I am so delighted. And isn’t it interesting!
Thank you for these amazing translations! I never dreamed so much additional information was hidden in those records, such as Wendtlandt being an organist, the ringing of the bells (I was a music major and enjoyed those bits of information), and the emergency baptism. These are examples of facts and events that make a family story real – and I know that my husband’s family will be surprised and glad to learn of them. I now realize how much I’m missing when I look at these old records. Ancestry o…
I hired Katherine to translate German Script from the 18th & 19th centuries. I wanted to include the translations in a family history document. She responded quickly to my emails and was more than willing to answer the many questions I had both prior to and after the translation. Katherine provided both English and German translations of this very difficult to read script. She included footnotes and historical website links that added greatly to my understanding of some of the terms used in the …
Katherine was instrumental in helping me give my wife—her words—“the best gift she has ever gotten.” For forty years, she has had copies of letters to and from her beloved grandmother and her siblings handwritten in German. Katherine translated the letters beautifully, providing us with both the German and English digital files. She was always responsive in our communications and met challenging time deadlines so that I could give my wife the letters as a Christmas present. Her fees were…
I can highly recommend the work of Katherine. I used her services to proofread my master thesis and the result greatly benefited from her thorough and detailed checking. Her feedback and comments were very constructive and extremely helpful. Moreover, the work was done timely and she responds to questions quickly. I will definitely use her services again.











