Could someone German translate this for me please? I inherited this from my great grandfather. Would love to know more about what it says. The German written here is difficult to understand.

4 comments

  1. Thats even as a German hard to read, what i can read out is that it appears to be a patent from Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha that dates back to June 1884

  3. I think your ancestor was made an “Amtsgerichtsrath”, that’s a judge with the lower court. The document confirms his appointment. I don’t have time to do the rest, but as pointed out already, /r/kurrent (that’s the name of the writing style used for most of it except words that are emphasised through use of Latin script) should see you through.

  4. German:

    > Wir Ernst Herzog von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha etc. etc. haben Uns in Gnaden bewogen gefunden, dem Oberamtsrichter Leopold Junker in Gotha das Dienstprädikat “Amtsgerichtsrath” zu verleihen. Zur Beurkundung dessen haben Wir dieses Patent für den Amtsgerichtsrath Leopold Junker in Gotha unter Beisetzung Unseres Herzoglichen Siegels ausfertigen lassen und eigenhändig vollzogen. Gotha, am 21ten Juni 1884.

    Basically, it’s an official certificate confirming judge Leopold Junker’s promotion. It was issued by the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (who would have been related by marriage to Queen Victoria!), and as was common at the time uses “the Royal We” to refer to himself.

    A rough translation would be:

    > We, Ernst, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha etc. etc., have found Ouselves moved to confer upon Oberamtsrichter (a judge in a local court) Leopold Junker in Gotha the title of Amtsgerichtsrat (also a judge in a local court, I assume with some seniority). To certify this We have ordered these Letters Patent with the Ducal Seal be issued for Amtsgerichtsrat Leopold Junker in Gotha, signed by Our own hand. Gotha, 21st June 1884.

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