Teach yourself to read the Sound Toll Registers

This is not an easy job. The Sound Toll Registers (STR) are handwritten in Danish. The writing is often difficult to read and the layout of toll declarations changes quite often. Per registration the STR mention in general the date, the name of the shipmaster, the place where he originated from, the port of departure, the cargo and the toll amount paid. But there are many variants and exceptions. You do not need to have any prior knowledge of paleography, but you should be willing to learn how to read the old handwriting and how to enter the data.

Of course we will help you. You do not have to know Danish. In general the Danish in the STR is quite easy to understand. Again and again the same words and expressions are used. A number of documents to help you is available.

On the website of the input module, https://www.meertens.knaw.nl/sonttol_editor/session, you can find reading exercises with various passages from the years 1557 and 1627 (there 's no logon needed for the reading exercises).

With the aid of these reading exercises you can get an impression of the STR and the input job. These reading exercises can also help you to read the STR handwriting.

On the ‘Help doc's’ – page you can also find various links with information on the Old Danish writing.

Picture: original passage, with transcription and translation