Old German Handwriting Transcription

Crafted by a von Pfeilitzer-Franck Descendant

Terms & Conditions

Effective date of this version: October 31, 2025

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of this website and the professional transcription services, services in archival institutions (including the making of photographic copies) provided by Artem Vasilev (“Service Provider”). By accessing this website or ordering any services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. Please read them carefully before using the site or submitting any documents for transcription.

1. Service Description

  • The Service Provider offers professional transcription of historical handwritten documents, primarily in old German scripts (Kurrentschrift, Sütterlin), as well as Russian-language documents.
  • The service includes the accurate transcription of legible handwritten materials and, as a complimentary bonus, a translation of the transcribed text into a language of the Client’s choice (e.g., English or Russian).
  • Short, isolated entries from parish registers (baptisms, marriages, deaths, confirmations), confession lists, revision lists, and population censuses are not transcribed; for these, clients are advised to contact volunteer groups.
  • Documents must be submitted in high-resolution scans or photographs, either via email or through a direct download link.
  • The Service Provider may also offer a service for making digital photographic copies of archival files (storage units) from the holdings of archival institutions in various countries (the “Photocopying Service”). Within the scope of the Photocopying Service, the Service Provider, acting on the Client’s instructions, accesses the file (document) specified by the Client and makes photographic copies of such materials using the technical means available to the Service Provider.
  • The specific archive in which the Photocopying Service is performed, as well as the period during which it is available and other particulars (procedure for placing orders, approximate time frames for performance, etc.) are published on this website and/or agreed with the Client in individual correspondence.

2. Ordering and Payment

  • After receiving the Client’s materials or request, the Service Provider assesses the feasibility of performing the order (including the legibility of documents for transcription, the availability of access to the archive and the specified file (storage unit) for photocopying) and informs the Client of the indicative time frame for performance of the order.
  • For transcription services, the standard fee is €0.10 per word transcribed. In rare cases of particularly difficult handwriting, a higher rate may be agreed upon in advance for specific pages.
  • For transcription services, the Client will not be charged for those parts of the text that cannot be transcribed or for which the Service Provider is not confident in the transcription.
  • The Service Provider issues to the Client an advance invoice or a VAT invoice (for transcription and other services, where applicable). Payment is accepted by bank transfer, card-to-card transfer or via neobanks (Revolut, Wise), as well as, where technically available, through payment forms and online acquiring services (for example, Card Payment, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Revolut Pay, SEPA, etc.).
  • A VAT amount of 21% is added to the fee for transcription services, as required by the legislation of Spain, where the Service Provider is registered as a sole proprietor.
  • For the Photocopying Service, the remuneration for the service is structured as a voluntary monetary contribution (a donation), the amount of which the Client determines independently at their own discretion. Irrespective of the terminology used, such contribution is deemed to be payment (remuneration) for the provision of the service of making photographic copies of documents. Within this amount, the Service Provider allocates VAT at 21% and pays it to the budget of its tax jurisdiction, and from the remaining part of the remuneration, which becomes its income, pays income tax.
  • The remuneration (donation) is transferred by the Client via the payment services indicated on the website or communicated by the Service Provider. Payment system and bank fees may be charged additionally and, as a rule, are not refundable by the Service Provider.

3. Client Responsibilities

  • The Client is responsible for providing clear, high-resolution images of your documents.
  • The Client must have the legal right to submit the documents for transcription and translation.
  • When ordering the Photocopying Service, the Client independently specifies the archival reference (details) of the storage unit: fund number, inventory number, file number. The Client must double-check the data provided and ensure that it is accurate. The Service Provider is not liable for errors made by the Client in indicating the archival reference.
  • The Client is responsible for ensuring that the use of the transcribed, translated and/or photographic-copy materials complies with all applicable laws and regulations, including the rules of the archival institution and restrictions on the use of copies (for example, prohibitions on publication, commercial use, reproduction, etc. established by the archive or other right holders).

4. Confidentiality and Data Protection

  • The Service Provider values the Client’s confidentiality and takes measures to ensure the security of their data.
  • All original files of the Client, the results of transcription and/or photocopying (including digital images of documents) are deleted from the Service Provider’s devices after fulfillment of the Client’s order and the expiry of a reasonable period for handling possible technical claims, unless otherwise required by law or agreed with the Client.
  • Personal data is processed in accordance with the applicable data protection legislation of Spain and the European Union.

5. Copyright

  • The Service Provider does not claim any rights to the Client’s materials and will not use, publish or disclose them to third parties without the Client’s explicit consent, except in cases expressly provided for by law.
  • The Service Provider does not grant the Client any additional rights to archival materials of which photographic copies are made within the scope of the Photocopying Service. All rights and restrictions established by the relevant archival institution and/or other right holders remain in force. The Client is responsible for complying with such restrictions.

6. Limitations of Service

  • The Service Provider does not guarantee the transcription of illegible or severely damaged documents.
  • Transcriptions are based on the Service Provider’s best professional judgment; some words or passages may remain undeciphered.
  • The Service Provider is not liable for any errors or omissions resulting from the condition or legibility of the original materials.
  • With regard to the Photocopying Service, the Service Provider does not guarantee: that the archive will issue the specific file (storage unit); that the archive will permit the photographing or copying of documents; or that access will be granted to all pages of the file if access to them is restricted by law or by the archive’s internal rules.
  • If the file ordered for photocopying is available only in a use-copy collection (viewing from a computer or using microfilm readers), the Service Provider is entitled to make photographic copies by photographing the screen or the available medium. The quality of such images may differ significantly from the quality of photographs of original documents.
  • If the archive refuses to issue the file or to permit photographing (due to the need for conservation, access restrictions, absence of the file in the holdings or for other reasons), the Service Provider informs the Client of the impossibility of fulfilling the order and, as agreed with the Client, either makes photographic copies of another file instead or arranges a refund of the remuneration (donation) paid by the Client, less the fees actually charged by payment services or banks if such fees are non-refundable.

7. Limitation of Liability

  • The Service Provider is not liable for any indirect, incidental or consequential losses arising from the use of the service or the website, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of profit, costs of additional research or other indirect expenses.
  • The Service Provider’s aggregate liability for any claim related to the service is limited to the amount actually paid by the Client for the specific order.

8. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

  • These Terms are governed by the laws of Spain.
  • All disputes arising in connection with these Terms or the use of the services are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Spain, unless otherwise provided by mandatory rules of applicable law.

9. Amendments

  • The Service Provider reserves the right to update or modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be effective upon posting on this website.
  • Continued use of the website or services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

10. No Public Offer and Individual Contract Formation

  • All information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a public offer or binding proposal to enter into a contract.
  • The terms, feasibility and procedure for performance of a specific Client order are discussed individually by email correspondence between the Service Provider and the Client or through other means of communication indicated on the website.
  • A simple service contract is deemed to be concluded between the Service Provider and the Client only as a result of such individual discussions and arrangements. The contract is formed by the Service Provider issuing to the Client an advance invoice and/or a final VAT invoice (for the Transcription Service); by the Client making a voluntary monetary contribution (donation) via a payment form expressly linked to a specific type of service (for example, to the Photocopying Service).
  • Payment by the Client of the advance invoice is deemed unconditional acceptance of the terms of performance of the order specified therein. Payment of the final VAT invoice is deemed unconditional acceptance of the work performed in the full stated volume.
  • In the event that work is performed without prepayment, the Client’s simple written confirmation by email is deemed to constitute acceptance of the contract by the Client.
  • In the case of the Photocopying Service, the Client’s payment of a monetary contribution (donation) via the corresponding payment form specifying the archival reference or other order identifier is also deemed to constitute acceptance of the contract.
  • The sending of a preliminary request before acceptance and negotiations regarding the feasibility of performing the order do not oblige either party to conclude a contract following such negotiations.
  • All information exchanged between the Service Provider and the Client in the course of such negotiations remains confidential and may not be disclosed by either party to third parties, except in cases expressly provided for by law.

11. Contact

For any questions regarding these Terms or the services offered, please contact:

Artem Vasilev
Email: info@pfeilitzer-franck.com
Legal Address: Calle Fernando Macías, 8, 1A, A Coruña, 15004 Spain

By using this website and submitting documents for transcription, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms & Conditions.