There is of course no one German handwriting, but often German
    documents are hard to read.  It takes practice to read handwritten
    documents, and each hand is different, often requiring some study
    even for the practiced eye.  Try to figure out words from context.
    Most genealogical documents have a limited vocabulary.  Look at
    other entries in the same hand to help you decipher the hardest
    parts.  Often the best approach is to ask another knowledgeable
    researcher at the library or archive where you encounter the
    difficult document.  There are also several books that can help
    teach you how to read German handwriting; these are available from
    genealogical supply firms or good bookstores.  Or use the German
    genealogy snail/fax translation service outlined above.

    The German genealogy server has examples of old German
    handwriting, Windows software for learning German handwriting,
    and a bibliography of texts on the subject at
      <http://www.genealogy.net/misc/scripts.html>

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