Help Me Translate These Old Postcards!

[PsYkOoOoO]

Hello everybody!

Recently, I visited a flea market in Taiwan and bought myself these old postcards from the early to mid 1900s. The person who sold it to me bought them on a trip to Europe, so these postcards are mostly in German, French, etc. Anyway, I bought these postcards without really knowing the content, but I am really curious to know. The problem is that I don't speak the language, and it is in cursive, making it doubly hard on me. Can anybody read this, or know of somebody who can?




This one is probably easier to read.

[Deexan]

It's all gibberish and they saw you coming.

[PsYkOoOoO]

Originally Posted by Deexan

It's all gibberish and they saw you coming.

Hmm. I don't know. That's possible. It's good that they didn't cost a lot. However, I did buy another Japanese postcard from 1955 and my friend, who knows Japanese, was able to translate that one perfectly. Some of the words were too cursive for her to understand, but she did give me an overall narrative of what the sender was writing. He/she was writing about the cherry blossom season in Japan, and was describing the scenery. I'd really love to see know what these postcards are saying.

On the back of one of these postcards, the sender also circled a few locations on a map and wrote English words like "Theatre". Very interesting.

[PsYkOoOoO]

OK, I picked out a few words from the third postcard and it is definitely French. It was sent to Geneva, which borders France, so that's legit. Anybody knows French?

[Deexan]

Haha, I was just yankin' your chain. They're actually pretty cool, it'll be interesting to find out what it all means.

[PsYkOoOoO]

Found a few pictures of the house where the second postcard was intended for:




NO ONE speaks German or Swiss-French?

[Ramplate]

Lo Siento, solamente Español

[Knerys]

I understand some French. Some of the hand writing is a little hard to decipher though. I'll give a try.

[Knerys]

So far, something about directions and markers on a map. And not leaving since last Wednesday....

[Dracula]

I'm pretty sure that the first one is in German and I also noticed that the second one mentions the city of Weimar. Otherwise I can't help you. Frankly, I don't think I would have been able to decipher them if they were in English. It continually baffles me that people were ever able to read handwriting at any length.

[FranklinTard]

... wouldn't you write really mundane things on postcards as anyone, even the postman, could just turn it over and read it?

every postcard i have ever gotten has just had hey how ya doing, i did this this and this, the french fries were awesome here, etc.

[Dracula]

Postcards only exist to make people jealous.

[PsYkOoOoO]

I did a bit of research, particularly on the second postcard, and found a few interesting things.

1. The postcard was sent to (or from?) a person called General Hanselow (I think that's an H), and the address is Birchtesgaden, Villa Helene. I've emailed the Birchtesgaden Tourist Office, and they were only able to provide the address of the villa, which is: 83483 Bischofswiesen/Stanggaß, Schusterbistlweg 7. You can Google Map this if you want.

1. Birchtesgaden is located in the south of Germany, near the German Bavarian Alps. In the mid 1900s, this area was a popular place for many Nazi officers to build their villas, and the most famous person to own a villa in the area was Adolf Hitler (named Berghof).

2. Carl Bechstein was a prominent piano manufacturer, and his son, Edwin, married a woman named Helene. In the mid 1900s, Helene Bechstein became an avid supporter of Hitler, and often invited him to her villa in Birchtesgaden. I don't know if this Helene is the same Helene in "Villa Helene", but the military connection between this villa, region and the postcard seems evident, since this postcard was sent to (or by) a General around that era.

[PsYkOoOoO]

Hey guys, an update!

A friend of mine was kind enough to send it to a colleague in Germany, who then sent it to her grandfather. She figured that people from that era would be able to read the handwritings better. Turns out, he managed to translate the first two postcards. The translations are as follows:

Address: Mrs Hedwig Huep, Wetzlar, Geiersberg 12/ Kaub/R. 2nd July 1955

Dear Hedwig,

Finally! You must be relieved!

Congratulations on being a grandma of a boy! Please send us or Mimi the address of Inge as we don’t know the house number so we can write to her as well. It is going to get really festive where we are now - the whole city is decorated with birch branches and flags for a big party alongside an inauguration of a ship at 3 o’clock. The Westenburgers will probably arrive from Wiesbaden tomorrow.

Greetings and Kisses,
All the best and with love,
Your Ebel Family.

P.S. With a gorgeous wine in hand – "Kaubner Rauseley", natural, 1953, I will drink to your new grandson. Vivant sequetes (lat.) All the Best, Herrmann Family

The second postcard:

Address: Mrs. General Vanselow, Berchtesgarden, Villa Helene, Friedrichroda, House Schneepass, 13th July 1916

We are now in Friedrichroda, and we have chosen Thüringen (state in Germany) because we still hope that (someone) will go on vacation, and we also have Irmi near us. We were first in Weimar, spent two nice days with Irmi there and we were also in Bad Berka (health resort), where we spend the afternoon with Marie from Salzwedel (city) and her mother.

It is too sad with Mr. Munk! 14 days ago he was so fresh and bloomy with us. Martha is pulling herself together, but Heinrich looks totally broken.

Hopefully you and Gerda are all good. Greetings for you two from my mother, Leni, Putti and me, your loyal niece (name illegible).

[KUacuraChick]

Originally Posted by FranklinTard

... wouldn't you write really mundane things on postcards as anyone, even the postman, could just turn it over and read it?

every postcard i have ever gotten has just had hey how ya doing, i did this this and this, the french fries were awesome here, etc.

This makes me want to send someone a postcard that just has a bunch of dirty stuff written all over it.

[JBond]

I'm sending you my address in a PM...