German-translated Declaration of Independence

Second physical printing of the Declaration!

The story of German translations of the Declaration of Independence begins in Philadelphia around the corner from John Dunlap's printshop, even before the first copies of the broadside version in English came off the press on Friday July 5, 1776. (printed by John Dunlap) Dunlap's professional competitor and political friend Henrich Miller reported in the Friday issue of his German-language newspaper that the Continental Congress had declared the united colonies to be free and independent states and that the English text was "now in press" and would be out "today or tomorrow." Miller probably picked up a copy at Dunlap's shop and together with his former journeymen Melchior Steiner and Carl Cist went to work on the translation. On Tuesday July 9, Miller's semiweekly newspaper appeared with its most impressive front page ever. It proudly presented in German the complete -- not yet unanimous -- "Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America in General Congress assembled." A day or two before or after, Steiner and Cist printed their own broadside in the same layout: two newspaper-type columns (Dunlap's broadside had used the simpler one-line-across-the-page layout) with an impressive head. The text is nearly identical with Miller's newspaper version. 

Willi Paul Adams; Declaration in German