German-English Glossary: Illnesses and Causes of Death (1700-1920)

This document is a compiled listing of illnesses and causes of death gleaned from three primary genealogical sources (listed below). This combined listing is reasonably exhaustive and should assist non-Old-German speakers researching the period 1700-1920.

Document Revision History

Date Revision Note
08 June 2024 Initial release details.
24 Mar 2025 Document enhanced to include a simulated set of handwritten SĂŒtterlin and Kurrent script for each term, aiding in recognition "in the wild." The list of terms has also been expanded.

Note on New Material (24 Mar 2025 Revision): The new material, which includes the simulated handwritten SĂŒtterlin and Kurrent script, appears in a separate PDF file.

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Translated List (German-English)

German Term English Translation / Meaning
Abzehrung emaciation; consumption
Altengeschwuern varicose veins
Altersschwaeche & Altershalber old age
Ausschlag skin disease
Auszehrung weakness – often tuberculosis
Blattern pustules, perhaps smallpox or chicken pox
Blinddarmentzuendung appendicitis
Blutsturz violent hemorrhage
Blutvergiftung blood poisoning
Brauene diphtheria
Brechdurchfall bloody diarrhea / perhaps bacillary dysentery (i.e. Shigellosis)
Bruch Schaden hernia
Brustkrankheit general breast or LUNG disease
Convulsionen convulsions
Darmgicht, Darmkolik, & intestinal afflictions one or more could be Darmsucht gastroenteritis caused by bacteria
Diphtherie, diphteritis diphtheria
Druesenkrankheit disease of the lymph glands – perhaps scrofula (an acute form of tuberculosis)
Durchfall diarrhea
Durchfall und der Ruhr dysentery
Engbruestigkeit tightness of chest, asthma
Englischen Krankheit rickets
Entkraeftung weakness as found in old age
Enzuendungs Fieber inflammation/fever
Epilepsie epilepsy
Ertrunken drowned
Faul Fieber “rotten” fever
Flecken spots / perhaps measles or typhus
Folgen chirurgieschen operation result of a surgical operation
Fraisen (infant) spasms
Freasal und Fleck Fieber fever and spotted fever
Friesel Pustules could be chicken pox
Fruehgeburt premature birth
Gallkrankheit general gallbladder disease or sickness/illness
Gallen Fieber infected gall bladder – perhaps bilious fever or hepatitis
Gedaermbrand, Gedaermfrasz intestinal gangrene (ulcerative colitis)
Gelbsuch jaundice
Geschwulst tumor
Gicht gout
Gichter convulsive fits
Goldene Ader hemorrhoids
Halsbrauene quinsy, suppurative tonsillitis – perhaps strep throat
Halsenzuendung tonsillitis
Harnruhr diabetes insipidus
Herz-Brustwassersucht mit hinzutrender Lungenlaehmung pleurisy, emphysema
Herzerweiterung, Leber-Magenverhaertung enlarged heart and hardening of the liver and stomach
Herzkrankheit heart disease
Hitziges Fieber typhoid fever
Husten cough
Kaltenbrande frostbite
Kaltenerkaeltung influenza
Keuchhusten whooping cough
Kindbette (in dem) post partum illness
Knochenbruechen broken bones
Knochenfaeule osteomyelitis
Kolik colic
Kraempfen cramps
Krankheiten und Urin illness of urine-producing organs
Krebs cancer
Lebensschwaeche frailty of life
Leibverstopfung blockage of the belly (constipation)
Luftroehrenschwindzucht bronchial (galloping) consumption – probably bronchial pneumonia
Lungenentzuendung pneumonia
Lungenlaemung disability of the lungs
Lungentuberkulose pulmonary tuberculosis
Lungesucht (der taru) tuberculosis
Magenkrebs stomach cancer
Magenoperation stomach operation
Magenverhaertung perhaps hardening of the stomach
Masern measles
Masern und Roetheln measles and German measles
Melancholie und Wahnsin depression and madness
Nerven Fieber typhus
Nichtbestimte Krankheit unknown illness
Niederkunft (bei der) maternity confinement
Nierenkrebs kidney cancer
Organ. Herzfehler organic heart failure
Petechien typhoid
Pocken smallpox
Potatschen spotted fever, spotted typhoid
Scharlach, Scharlach Fieber, & Schlarachriesel scarlet fever
Schlag, Schlaganfall stroke
Schlagflusz apoplectic fit, stroke
Schleichendem Fieber consumption, tuberculosis
Schwemmen external growth (spongy growth)
Schwindsucht acute tuberculosis
Selbstmoerder suicide
Soropkeln (?) Verstopfung der Gekroesdruesen blockage of intestines, tuberculosis of glands
Steckflusz asthma, emphysema
Steinbeschwerde kidney stones
Stickhusten whooping cough
Tod durch Unschlingung der Nabelschnur um den Hals-Erstichung stillbirth due to strangulation by umbilical cord
Ungluecksfaellen mancher Art accidents of any kind
Unterleibsentzuendung peritonitis due to intestinal bacteria released into the abdominal cavity
Unzeitig ad. Todtgeborene; in den Wochen stillborn, or premature childbirth
Venerischen Krankheit venereal disease, syphilis
Verunglueckt accidental death
Wasserkopfe hydrocephalous
Wassersucht dropsy, congestive heart failure, edema
Windgeschwulst chicken pox
Wuermern worms
Zaehnen teeth

Credits and References

Translation and Compilation

The credit for the translation work goes to:

The original work was compiled and edited by Judith Rempel.

Note from Original Translators: Ann Rempel and Dora Epp humbly requested to qualify their work as follows: “Not all terms are translated or perhaps correctly translated. But, but the result is the best of our ability.”

Reviewers

Reviewers who suggested improvements include:

The original material was edited by Marty McMahon (13 Apr 1997).

Primary Sources

  1. The Kirchenbuch prepared by Dirck Tiessen (1782) in Petershagen, Prussia. This list started from a single page entitled “Hauptkrankeiten” (main illnesses), which was translated by Ann Rempel and Dora Epp in 1996.
  2. A monograph by Richard Ringenberg (1942), Familienbuch der mennoniten Gemeinde Eichstock. Schriften des Bayerischen Landesvereins fuer Familienkunde e. V., Heft 18. Verlag Michael Laszleben, Kallmuenz uebert Regensburg. The causes of death were reviewed by V. Lyle von Riesen, who published an article entitled “Causes of Deaths in the Eichstock [Baveria] Mennonite congregation” in Mennonite Family History, XV, 4, p. 151-155.
  3. An article published in Mennonite Family History, prepared by Adalbert Goertz, which appeared in the April 1991 issue as “Diseases in Prussian Church Records”.

Licensing

This work is placed in the public domain – Judith Rempel.