Can you help me identify this book?

[Alia]

I'm one for a bargain, but I stepped into a mystery that is now bothering me. And I was wondering if anyone out there can help me.
I went out yard selling with some friends and found some really old book I couldn't live without, Arabian Nights 1889 version in excellent condition. The guy who was selling it wasn't have much luck with getting rid of his books that day, so he threw in a second book for free. The only problem with the second book is I don't know have the slightest clue of what it could be. Pretty sad huh?! It's in German - the whole book, but one paragraph. I know two words in German, Thank You and Your welcome, and I don't know how to spell them, just say them. Again, very sad! To add to the problem the writing is in a different kind of print that makes it hard to read.
Because this discussion board is made up of a wide variety of people, I was hoping someone could help explain to me what this book is about or where to go to find out info. I have tried internet searches, google, Amazon, eBay and abesbooks (I believe that's the name).

The title is Reformations - Album
The title page says:

Reformations - Album
44 Gilder
aus ber
Reformations - Beit nebft Erklarung.
Die Borlaufer der Freformation, Luther und leine
Witarbeiter, Furften, Stadte, Statten
und Deukmaler.

For the paragraph that I can understand:

Entered according to Acto of Congress in the year 1885
By
Augustus Bendel.
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington

I've had this book for some time now, it's my little mystery in life. Can you help me solve it?
Thanks!

[dwndrgn]

It seems to be something with regards to Martin Luther and the Reformation, but that's just a guess. There are free online translators that can do paragraphs at a time for you if you feel like typing a paragraph in just to see what it is saying, just google online translator.

[Alia]

Thanks dwndrgn!
I'll give the online translator a try.

[GOLLUM]

Alia,


Hmm. Let me see now…I may be able to shed some light on this for you as surprise, surprise; I speak German as a second language.


I think the problem you are having is due to the fact this book may be printed in a German Gothic style, so many of the letters will not be printed in the way you and I are used to nowadays. Therefore what looks like one letter to you is in reality another.


Having said that I still can’t quite see how some of the letters you’ve translated in your post look the way they look if we are talking German Gothic, so I’m guessing a little here in terms of what the words/print actually looks like in your book!


I’ve put a link at the bottom of this post to gothic lettering. Use the section at the bottom of this link page to maybe have another go at interpreting the letters and reposting what they may be! I don’t have the text in front of me so I’m only guessing in some senses. You won't have a hope in h*ll of translating anything until you can work out the correct lettering!!!!!! This also means of course that if you don't have the correct author spelling then you're going nowhere fast.

Ok then here’s my guess at the translation. Below it is my working notes.

Translation:

Reformations – Album

44 Pictures

Of The

Reformations – Times(dates) together with explanations (captions/commentary)

Forerunner of the Post-Reformation Era?, (Martin) Luther and his

associates, travels, cities, sites (historical)

and monuments.

Best I could do with the limited information presented.



Working Notes:

“Reformations – Album” is pretty clear it’s just an album covering aspects of the reformation of the Church in Germany including Martin Luther as per world historical events. If you don’t know much about Martin Luther in the 1500s then just enter Luther and Reformation into the Google search engine and you’ll have heaps of info on this subject!! Reformation is the same in this context in German as it is in English.


Gilder = No German word exists to my knowledge that is spelt like Gilder except for the Dutch coin spelt as guilder. I think this word is probably Bilder for pictures, are there pictures or sketches in the book? The term album makes me think it may be so but if you could clarify this? Could be this is an old word for illustrations who knows?


Aus ber = I think is the common German expression “aus der” which means “from the” or “of the”


Therefore the first part would read: ““44 pictures of the Reformations” which makes sense to me.


No such german word as Beit I know of. This could be Weit or Zeit in gothic script. I started thinking it was Weit, which can mean several things including “besides” but then I thought it might be Zeit. This is the German word for time, I’ll go with this not sure as small z can look like a b?


Nebft does not exist BUT nebst does and means “together with”


Erklarung with an umlaut on the “a” means Explanation.

Therefore that line would approx read “44 pictures of the Reformations – Times (dates) together with explanations” in other words pictures of the reformation era with captions or info next to them and possibly also a date of some kind?

It all hinges off the layout of the book and if it even has pictures!

The term "Freformation" not sure on BUT it could be Reformation or something post- reformation?

Borlaufer does not exist but Vorlaufer does and means ‘forerunner”


Luther I assume is a reference to The Martin Luther of church reformation fame in the 1500s in Germany.

“Leine” is easy; you’ve confused the gothic s with our letter l. So this should be the German word “seine” or “his” referring to Martin Luther.

Gothic capital M looks like a W so I think the word is "Mitarebeiter", which means colleagues.

“Furften” not sure on although Furhren is the German word for travels or journeys, so keeping with the context of the sentence I gueesed that.

“Stadte” is the plural for cities or towns.

“Statten” is German for sites or places.


“Deukmaler” is not a word I know BUT the gothic “n” can look like a “u” so if it’s “Denkmaler” then Denkmal is statue or monument so I’ll guess at monuments. Not confident though..

If your album has pictures with these types of things in it then we’ve probably hit the jackpot.

Bye for now..

Link to Gothic Typeset:
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Search/RG/guide/German_Gothic99-36316.ASP

[Tsujigiri]

GOLLUM, dude, you rule

[The Master™]

Don't encourage him!!!

[Tsujigiri]

Credit where credit is due m8

[The Master™]

True... Don't want him to get all huffy!!!

[dwndrgn]

Aha! I thought that some of the text might have been misinterpreted letters...of course, not knowing any German (any helpful German that is, I know a few select phrases that aren't germane to this post ) hindered me there.

Gollum, I think you've given Alia some good help here. Thanks!

[Alia]

I bow before your feet Gollum!! And I'm not teasing!!
There are pictures in the book of fathers in robes.
There are also pictures of Peter Waldus, Joh. Wiclif., Savonarola, and even Martin Luther.
Studing World Religion in College, I'm familiar with Martin Luther.
Thumbing through I see some of the dates are 1517.
Wow, not that you mention all of that, things are popping out at me that I didn't see before.
Did I mention I was bowing before you Gollum?

Thanks Gollum

[Alia]

I have a few extra minutes, so here I go:

Gilder = No German word exists to my knowledge that is spelt like Gilder except for the Dutch coin spelt as guilder. I think this word is probably Bilder for pictures, are there pictures or sketches in the book? The term album makes me think it may be so but if you could clarify this? Could be this is an old word for illustrations who knows?

Your right Gollum, it's Bilder, I see it now that you have mentioned it. There are lots of pctures in the book, including people, places, a headstone, buildings and more.

No such german word as Beit I know of. This could be Weit or Zeit in gothic script. I started thinking it was Weit, which can mean several things including “besides” but then I thought it might be Zeit. This is the German word for time, I’ll go with this not sure as small z can look like a b?

It really does look like a 'B'.

Nebft does not exist BUT nebst does and means “together with”

It looks more like Neblt. What I said was 'f' doesn't even look like a 'f', but 'l'. The gothic type setting is challenging.

Erklarung with an umlaut on the “a” means Explanation

Your right! Perfect! (And that should go to your head!)

Therefore that line would approx read “44 pictures of the Reformations – Times (dates) together with explanations” in other words pictures of the reformation era with captions or info next to them and possibly also a date of some kind?

Looking over the book, there are pictures and a small description of it that follow. Now, I said I studied World Reglion in college, I have to say, it was a summer class so they crammed a lot of information in a 6 week period. Martin Luther was mention once and then we moved on. I don't remember the dates, but that is easy enough to look up. I will look up your link to Golthic type setting this afternoon, I have to start getting ready for the day now.


Gollum, I just want to thank you for your time! And everyone else who added too! It solves that little mystery of what the book was about. Now what to do with it since no one in my family speaks German.

[GOLLUM]

No problem Alia, happy to be of assistance.

So like does this help pay towards that submarine passage to the US?? *holds hand out in hope of receiving said ticket* Hope all that bowing doesn't give you a sore back mate!

OH and when you said "It looks more like Neblt. What I said was 'f' doesn't even look like a 'f', but 'l'. The gothic type setting is challenging" the f or l is the lowercase s in German Gothic typeface. You'll see that when you get to check out the link.

Now everyone, I PROMISE not to get too big a head from all of this this BUT if I can have just one small indulgence, you may like to check out my Pre 1980s Classic Fantasy Authors thread You may even find it to be of some interest. The next featured author I can now reveal will be Robert E. Howard.

Take care everyone.

OH and Tsujigiri I'm currently in Combat Training.. Now let me see where's that Samuraii sword my brother got when he was in Japan some time back. HMM.. OH Well at least I can console myself with my medieval mace from Europe I picked up in the '90s, that takes pride of place in my room (no joke!).

See ya'll!!

[Alia]

You know Gollum, your a man of many talents... I'm very impress!
I had an oportunity to check out the Gothic Website, now that the taxes are in, bills are paid, work is done for the week, and the only one bothering me is the little one (11 months) crawling around my chair.
Anyways, I was checking out the website and found it to be very interesting. Did you realize that a s, h, f, & j all look extremely similar to each other. (please note the 's', I personally don't understand this one, but hey, I'm not gothic) So any one one of those letters can be the 'f' or 'l' in a word. Of course the website says that with practice and studying the Gothic letters I will become accurate... haha I'm having a hard time with just English. Now I have to admit that I did print out the translation of letters part. My husband is kind of good at things like that so I thought I would throw it his way. He has that eagle eye thingy for detail...

I just wanted to tell you thanks once again now that I'm up off the floor not bowing before you any longer.

[GOLLUM]

That's Ok Alia.

Talk to you soon on the boards, I'll be posting something Sunday evening my time on Robert E Howard.

Now I'm going to sleep ZZZZZZZZZZ...

See ya!

[Novocaine]

Damn GOLLUM, nice job, all my posts on this site together don't equal that post... You are abnormally intelligent. Anyway, good job once again.