My services as a translator and interpreter

What most people need when they ask me to help is a certified translation of a document, English --> German, German --> English, Latin --> English, Latin --> German.

From now on, I will only accept new translation assignments in special cases (when others cannot help). 

This is due to my age and health, repeated absence, work on a project, and other commitments.

From Latin, I will only provide certified translations of documents which are need

ed for present-day official purposes (e.g. university diplomas).

My certified translations will normally be recognized everywhere. (In the event that an "apostille" or "legalization" is required, I can handle the application in cooperation with a local notary public for the fees charged by that notary.) 

My authorization to issue certified translations is based on the law of of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, where I am resident. I was sworn at the Landgericht (District Court) of Stuttgart on 4 Oct 1976 for the English and on 24 Nov 1983 for the Latin language. My name will be found in the German judicial authorities’ official list of sworn translators and interpreters.

In the UK, my translations will be acceptable due to my membership of the Chartered Institute of Linguists in London, which is the relevant professional body. My German professional organisation BDÜ is a member of the International Federation of Translators.

Procedure for obtaining a certified translation

When I issue a certified translation, a printed copy of your document will be attached to my translation. Never send any of your original documents to me.

I could not possibly accept any liability for any loss in the course of postal transmission.

Sending me a copy will be absolutely sufficient. You may send me this copy by electronic mail, by fax or by post  (especially if it is a certified copy).

I will send you my certified translation through the post. An invoice will be enclosed. 

If the authority for which you require the certified translation has any doubts concerning the authenticity of the attached copy, you may have to present the original document or a certified copy of the original document to that authority.

Who can issue certified copies? In Germany, the office of any local authority or university might do that – you may not require the services of a notary public for that purpose. Some authorities will, however, only provide certifications of copies of documents which are entirely in German; in such cases, a notary may be needed (or consult the Embassy or a consulate of your country).

A little more about myself 

In more than 45 years as a practising translator, I translated many specialised texts – book chapters, articles in journals, booklets – from English into German and from German into English, in the fields of Education, Psychology, History, the systems and administration of Education / Higher Education and Research, Politics, Computers, Telecommunikation.

I have also translated several texts of fiction.

Some stages of my biography:

In 1946, I was born at Tübingen, a university town in the south of Germany

I studied English Language & Literature, Classics (Latin), History and Political Science at the universities of Tübingen, Frankfurt/Main, Bristol and Stuttgart.

1969-1971  I was a "Foreign Language Assistant" in Wales and England

1972 - MCIL "Member of the Institute of Linguists“ (today: Chartered Institute of Linguists) after passing the prescribed examination

1975 –  “State-examined translator” in English, after passing the examination supervised by the state Ministry of Education of Baden-Württemberg

1975 – First "state examination“ (academic examination for prospective teachers in upper secondary education) in English Language & Literature, History, Political Science

1977 – MA (“Magister Artium”) awarded by the University of Stuttgart after examinations in English Language & Literature and History.

1978-1980 – editor (mainly of school textbooks) at a publishing house specialized in foreign language instruction

1981-2011 – academic researcher at the German Institute for (Research in) Distance Education (DIFF) at the University of Tübingen, reorganised in 2001 as the Knowledge Media Research Center.

Since my retirement from the academic job at the age of 65, I have worked a freelance translator and interpreter. A list of some of the most interesting texts which I translated over the years will be found in the German section of this website ("Werdegang").