Carolin Sommer
German Language Specialist
As a native German speaker who has lived in English-speaking countries for over 20 years, I am virtually bilingual and feel as much at home with the English language as I do with German.
Throughout my career I have worked with texts of many different forms, covering a variety of subject areas.
My experience includes:
I specialise in:
I also love working in:
Letters, postcards, diaries and other personal documents are an
invaluable resource for anyone looking into their family history, but more often than not they appear to be just
illegible scribbles. This is because they are probably written in Sütterlin, an old script taught in German
schools between 1915 and 1941. This is where I can help. I have several years' experience deciphering Sütterlin
(and its predecessor Kurrent), and I have helped unlock numerous discoveries in such documents for my clients.
Feel free to send me a photo or scan of
your handwritten documents to find out more.
An essential book for this moment – inspiring stories of people who have built meaningful relationships despite initial deep-seated prejudice, revealing how we can mend our fiercest divides. Berbner's intensively reported and compelling accounts are interwoven with expert insight from Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman, psychologist Peter Coleman of Columbia University and others. This uplifting book vividly shows that we can overcome prejudice and find common ground.
Read more on Amazon.comA potentially lifesaving guide on how to find and prepare safe drinking water in extreme situations, ranging from backpacking treks to natural disasters. Biologist, survival expert, and author Joe Vogel's scientifically backed, practical and easy-to-understand handbook offers life-saving advice on how to find, assess, treat and store safe drinking water in the most extreme places, ranging from hurricane-ravaged cities to remote deserts. Small enough for hikers to take with them on treks but broad enough to cover all relevant options for finding and purifying water, Vogel's book is a vital manual for anyone hitting the trail or otherwise unable to take clean water for granted.
Read more on Amazon.com
When Jennifer Teege, a German-Nigerian woman, happened to pluck a library book from the shelf, she had no idea that her life would be irrevocably altered. Recognising photos of her mother and grandmother in the book, she discovers a horrifying fact: her grandfather was Amon Goeth, the vicious Nazi commandant chillingly depicted by Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List – a man known and reviled the world over.
Read more on Amazon.co.uk
Ignaz Bing, founder of one of the world's largest toy manufacturing companies in the 19th century, wrote his captivating memoirs during the dark days of World War I to distract himself from the "horrors of these times". He had time to fill three volumes, all included in this book, focusing on his career, his family and friends, and finally his travels. They give a wonderful and very personal insight into the life of a Jewish family in 19th-century Germany.
Read more on Amazon.co.uk
Through over 40 compelling questions, this book explores how our eating decisions tread the line between conscious and subconscious, and enables us to be more intelligent about food. With expert insights that draw from psychology, neuroscience, popular culture, and more, learn to see the innumerable influences behind your diet and cravings—from the size and color of your plate, to the placement of products in a supermarket, to the order in which you sit when out with friends.
Read more on Amazon.com
Fabian Sänger is one of Switzerland's most well-known and respected chocolatiers and patissiers. “Sweet Life” is his latest publication, a collection of more than 90 mouth-watering recipes. His creations cover a wide range of eye-opening flavour combinations, from pear and saffron cake to cherry and green tea desserts and cheesecake in a glass. All recipes are complemented by stunning photographs, taken by the author himself.
Read more on Amazon.co.uk
Four children, four stories, four books – Gervelie, Hamzat, Mohammed and Meltem may have grown up in very different countries, but they all had to flee their homes to escape the war and violence around them. The books in this series describe their perilous journeys and their experiences once they reach the safety of England.
Read more on Amazon.co.uk
I couldn't be happier with Carolin's work. She is fast, detail-oriented, and an absolute pleasure to work with. I enlisted her services for both transcription (of Sütterlin) and translation work; the transcriptions were precise and thorough, and the translation eloquent and accurate. I recommend her in the strongest possible terms.
From the very
beginning of the translation process, and at every point along the way, Carolin favorably impressed me.
She was absolutely committed to translating the book accurately and precisely as well as idiomatically and
readably; and to capturing the two authors' distinct voices and styles. Carolin was highly receptive (and
responded promptly) to comments, queries, and edits throughout the translation review process, and she met
all agreed-upon deadlines. I recommend Carolin unequivocally as a translator, and I hope my colleagues and
I will soon find another German-language book we will want to publish in English, and that we will be able
to retain Carolin to translate it.
Thank you very much
indeed for all of the work that you have done. The results have exceeded my expectations because I
imagined that you would find much more of the material indecipherable despite your skills. It has really
astonished me that you have managed to decipher so much. I feared that it might have been too much of a
challenge but plainly I under-estimated both the clarity of my grandparents' script and your skill as a
translator.
Carolin translated
our website from English to German with a fantastic eye to detail. She had a great understanding of the
content that we were trying to deliver so that it seemed like it was written in the target language. She
provided a very professional but friendly service and kept to the aggressive time frames that we gave her.
We would thoroughly recommend.
Carolin has worked
with some very challenging material with me as a volunteer translator for The Wiener Library for the Study
of the Holocaust and Genocide, and has always done a fantastic job. Her concern to render the most
accurate and authentic translation possible of eyewitnesses to the Holocaust has always shone through. In
addition, the Library often needs volunteers who can work on transcription and translation of difficult
handwritten texts, an area in which Carolin excels. Recently we prepared a translation and transcription
of a letter by Max Liebermann for an exhibition and Carolin effectively led a small team to successfully
decipher the manuscript with great success, adding significantly to the rich array of original material
shown.
What a fantastic job
you have done! The Preface, in addition to your translation of the flysheet, makes amazing reading. You have managed to capture Elias's 'unusual' style, which I appreciate cannot have been easy! And you certainly have not lost his 'unique voice' in your translation.
The new translation has reached me and again it is of so much interest and delight. You have done a
wonderful service for our family. You are very impressive.
I was hugely
impressed by the translation service offered by Carolin. She produced a thorough German-English
translation
of a technical and difficult to decipher archival record, in a very short space of time. I highly
recommend her to
anyone seeking a German language translation service
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