Editing German language (section)

===Past===
[[File:Fraktur-ru.jpg|thumb|A Russian dictionary from 1931, showing the "German alphabet"&nbsp;– the 3rd and 4th columns of each half are [[Fraktur]] and [[Kurrent]] respectively, with the footnote explaining [[typographic ligature|ligatures]] used in Fraktur]]
{{Further|2nd Orthographic Conference (German)|Antiqua–Fraktur dispute|German orthography reform of 1944}}
Until the early 20th century, German was printed in [[blackletter]] [[typeface]]s (in [[Fraktur]], and in [[Schwabacher]]), and written in corresponding [[penmanship|handwriting]] (for example [[Kurrent]] and [[Sütterlin]]). These variants of the Latin alphabet are very different from the serif or [[sans-serif]] [[Antiqua (typeface class)|Antiqua]] typefaces used today, and the handwritten forms in particular are difficult for the untrained to read. The printed forms, however, were claimed by some to be more readable when used for [[Germanic languages]].{{sfn|Reinecke|1910|p=55}} The [[Nazism|Nazis]] initially promoted Fraktur and Schwabacher because they were considered [[Aryan]], but they abolished them in 1941, claiming that these letters were Jewish.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bormann |first=Martin |date=8 January 1941 |title=Der Bormann-Brief im Original |trans-title=The original Bormann letter |url=http://ligaturix.de/bormann.htm |access-date=20 November 2020 |publisher=[[Nazi Party|NSDAP]] |language=de |quote=Facsimile of Bormann's Memorandum<br /> The memorandum itself is typed in Antiqua, but the NSDAP [[letterhead]] is printed in Fraktur.<br />"For general attention, on behalf of the Führer, I make the following announcement:<br />It is wrong to regard or to describe the so-called Gothic script as a German script. In reality, the so-called Gothic script consists of Schwabach Jew letters. Just as they later took control of the newspapers, upon the introduction of printing the Jews residing in Germany took control of the printing presses and thus in Germany the Schwabach Jew letters were forcefully introduced.<br />Today the Führer, talking with Herr Reichsleiter Amann and Herr Book Publisher Adolf Müller, has decided that in the future the Antiqua script is to be described as normal script. All printed materials are to be gradually converted to this normal script. As soon as is feasible in terms of textbooks, only the normal script will be taught in village and state schools.<br />The use of the Schwabach Jew letters by officials will in future cease; appointment certifications for functionaries, street signs, and so forth will in future be produced only in normal script.<br />On behalf of the Führer, Herr Reichsleiter Amann will in future convert those newspapers and periodicals that already have foreign distribution, or whose foreign distribution is desired, to normal script. |archive-date=11 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111185607/http://ligaturix.de/bormann.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> It is believed that this script was banned during the Nazi régime,{{who|date=November 2020}} as they realized that Fraktur would inhibit communication in the territories occupied during [[World War II]].{{sfn|Kapr|1993|p=81}}

The Fraktur script however remains present in everyday life in pub signs, beer brands and other forms of advertisement, where it is used to convey a certain rusticality and antiquity.

A proper use of the [[long s]] ({{lang|de|langes s}}), [[long s|ſ]], is essential for writing German text in [[Fraktur]] typefaces. Many [[Antiqua (typeface class)|Antiqua]] typefaces also include the long s. A specific set of rules applies for the use of long s in German text, but nowadays it is rarely used in Antiqua typesetting. Any lower case "s" at the beginning of a syllable would be a long s, as opposed to a terminal s or short s (the more common variation of the letter s), which marks the end of a syllable; for example, in differentiating between the words {{lang|de|Wachſtube}} (guard-house) and {{lang|de|Wachstube}} (tube of polish/wax). One can easily decide which "s" to use by appropriate hyphenation, ({{lang|de|Wach-ſtube}} vs. {{lang|de|Wachs-tube}}). The long s only appears in [[lower case]].