Mennonite Life, 2215 Millstream Road, Lancaster, will host a "Winter Workshop: Intro to German Script" on Friday, Feb. 9, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Community Room.

Mennonite Life archivist and librarian Julia Wiker will teach participants the German script alphabet, as well as abbreviations and variations in writing and spelling. The session will also offer practice interpreting 18th- and 19th-century family records from Mennonite Life's collections. Basic knowledge of written German is recommended, but not required, for this workshop.

Learning to interpret Kurrentschrift (German cursive) can be a valuable skill for genealogy research, not just for those with Swiss-Mennonite ancestry, but for anyone with ancestral roots in German-speaking countries. Kurrentschrift may also be found in the Pennsylvania German art of fraktur, which combines the elegant script with vibrant, colorful illustrations.

There is a fee. To register by Wednesday, Feb. 7, visit https://mennonitelife.org/ and click on Events in the menu. In the case of inclement weather on Feb. 9, this workshop will be postponed to Friday, Feb. 16.