This page is about a secret writing system that was used between Ferdinand III. and his brother Leopold Wilhelm in 1640. This encryption method has not been broken yet.
The Encryption System
Letter 1
This letter consists of four pages.
Transcription Table
Here is a transcription table:
Transcription (complete)
Thanks to reader Finn Klein from Fürth for providing this transcription.
Page 1
0. 20 July
Zifra [21 13 A2 04 2Q 0A 33 0Q]
[T3 02 01]
Si haberemus [00 2B 03 4A 3Q] quam [0R 20 34]
[44 BC] ????
????
???? [94 11 4S 41 13 3D A0 GE 3M W1]
[0N 91 1T 42 30 9N 1Q 12 40 1B 32 12 24]
????
ad [4H 1B A0 AT 2Q KL IJ] quam [TU]
[1J WO 4A 23 44 3D] ????
????
???? [22 63 24 13 35]
[41 29 25 26 11 43 41 65 27] ????
[44 43 67 34 12 89 24 12 43 99 76 22 13 24]
[55 56 34 41 12 43 46 48 47] ????
???? [13 66 31 77 12 88 43 99 55]
???? [12 3F 15 41 10 0E 24 3F]
Senex fuit ???? [42 01 2A 59 44 04 43]
[SI 1Q 12 42 3O A0 05 43 QT 12 13 43] Servus
fuit [TQ 0T DW 41 24 00] ruina in
[42 66 11 33 53 12 24 00 40 13 A5 05 3A]
[22 2A 13 NO 2R 01 43 A0] in [21 12 (eingeschoben:23) 63 73]
???? Zwischen den Zeilen: 44
[12 24] ???? [12 44 12 24 65 42]
Page 2
[23 13 12 21 53 46 36 41 24 65 11 42 55 41 13 88 24 12]
[43 64 89] ???? ad [13 44 43 6X X4 13 4F]
[24 12 34 53 63 31 12 13 88 74 24 11 41 12 41 14]
[81] ???? [E1 SA 1E 40 1Q T2 01]
[43 41 65 12 43 18] ???? [32 21 63 24 11 42]
[31 41 55 66 A2 01 2T 23] ???? [23 1Q 0F]
[TS Q0 V1 12 73 34 12 13 AQ] ????
???? [34 AT BX 42 3V (eingeschoben: 34) 65 77]
[34 41 (Weirdo ˩)0 00 EA U0 QR 11 VC] ????
???? [21 13 62 43 24 41 89 12 43 55 12 24 32]
???? [34 12 66 77]
[13 31 43 12 AQ 11 T3 30 VQ 3S] ????
[21 14 B1 OE 4B 45 13 01 33] ????
???? [33 12 24]
[EF 13 54 3A T1 12 43] ???? [X(Q?)D 01 42]
[31 12 N3] ????
???? [ 33 12 13 43 66 42 11 21 13]
[53 62 41 44 23 11 87 77 41 13 14 43 84 73]
Page 3
???? [33 14 12 23]
[QD 01 ZA 1Y B2 12 T3 22 F2]
[ON IW M1 FX MJ 44 33] ????
???? [34 11 71 88 32]
[11 43] ????
[13 44 24 11 33 12 43 (eingeschoben: 41)78 73 68] ???? [21 24]
[0A 3Q 14 3A FT 00] ????
????
????
[33 13 A0 1S 2Q 42 AA 22]
[13 43 41 02 4B 13 31 33 12 A2]
[AT 4F 0A 4B 40 02 TB U0 13 42]
[05 WD] ????
????
[13 67 31 78 33 96] ???? [34 62 O4 23 SQ]
[02 2D 00 34 QA 12 43] ???? [14]
[E0 1F 24 03 5A 12 T3] ????
???? [12 13 67 12 (darüber: 43) 33 52 1Q F1 05 24 03 31 QB 31 01 20 1F TB] ????
???? [12 44 12 A2 2Q 0D (eingeschoben: 12) S0] ???? [34 13 98]
[QA 04 23 XD 43] ????
Page 4
????
????
????
???? [42 11 21 21 12 43]
[24 12 13 34 34 1F X3] ????
[20 $B 01 4X 1F 21 4T 2A 35]
[0B 3V 42 31 0X] ???? (von?) [JK 01 24]
[4F 62 A3 SX TV 24 3F] ????
???? [AS BX …weiter leider unleserlich… 23]
ad [21 13 34 62 42 31 55 54 72 O4 22]
???? [A3 04 Q0 43 0F 0D 4D 2F]
[1Y 2T 3X V0] sed hoc tibi ????
???? [23 68 12 52 34 46]
[34 46 12 49 23 58] ????
????
????
???? [2F 03 65 3A 40 67 1F 43] fuit [33]
[11 42 31 62 75 46 12 42] ????
????
????
????
???? (Abschiedsformel?)
Transcription (Encrypted Part Only)
21 13 A2 04 2Q 0A 33 0Q
T3 02 01
00 2B 03 4A 3Q 0R 20 34
44 BC
94 11 4S 41 13 3D A0 GE 3M W1
0N 91 1T 42 30 9N 1Q 12 40 1B 32 12 24
4H 1B A0 AT 2Q KL IJ TU
1J WO 4A 23 44 3D
22 63 24 13 35
41 29 25 26 11 43 41 65 27
44 43 67 34 12 89 24 12 43 99 76 22 13 24
55 56 34 41 12 43 46 48 47
13 66 31 77 12 88 43 99 55
12 3F 15 41 10 0E 24 3F
42 01 2A 59 44 04 43
SI 1Q 12 42 3O A0 05 43 QT 12 13 43
TQ 0T DW 41 24 00
42 66 11 33 53 12 24 00 40 13 A5 05 3A
22 2A 13 NO 2R 01 43 A0 21 12 23 63 73
44
12 24 12 44 12 24 65 42
23 13 12 21 53 46 36 41 24 65 11 42 55 41 13 88 24 12
43 64 89 13 44 43 6X X4 13 4F
24 12 34 53 63 31 12 13 88 74 24 11 41 12 41 14
81 E1 SA 1E 40 1Q T2 01
43 41 65 12 43 18 32 21 63 24 11 42
31 41 55 66 A2 01 2T 23 23 1Q 0F
TS Q0 V1 12 73 34 12 13 AQ
34 AT BX 42 3V 34 65 77
34 41 ˩0 00 EA U0 QR 11 VC
21 13 62 43 24 41 89 12 43 55 12 24 32
34 12 66 77
13 31 43 12 AQ 11 T3 30 VQ 3S
21 14 B1 OE 4B 45 13 01 33
33 12 24
EF 13 54 3A T1 12 43 3D 01 42
31 12 N3
33 12 13 43 66 42 11 21 13
53 62 41 44 23 11 87 77 41 13 14 43 84 73
33 14 12 23
QD 01 ZA 1Z B2 12 T3 22 F2
ON IW M1 FX MJ 44 33
34 11 71 88 32
11 43
13 44 24 11 33 12 43 41 78 73 68 21 24
0A 3Q 14 3A FT 00
33 13 A0 1S 2Q 42 AA 22
13 43 41 02 4B 13 31 33 12 A2
AT 4F 0A 4B 40 02 TB U0 13 42
05 WD
13 67 31 78 33 96 34 62 O4 23 SQ
02 2D 00 34 QA 12 43 14
E0 1F 24 03 5A 12 T3
12 13 67 12 43 33 52 1Q F1 05 24 03 31 QB 31 01 20 1F TB
12 44 12 A2 2Q 0D 12 S0 34 13 98
QA 04 23 XD 43
42 11 21 21 12 43
24 12 13 34 34 1F X3
20 $B 01 4X 1F 21 4T 2A 35
0B 3V 42 31 0X JK 01 24
4F 62 A3 SX TV 24 3F
AS BX 23
21 13 34 62 42 31 55 54 72 O4 22
A3 04 Q0 43 0F 0D 4D 2F
1Y 2T 3X V0
23 68 12 52 34 46
34 46 12 49 23 58
2F 03 65 3A 40 67 1F 43 33
11 42 31 62 75 46 12 42
Letter 2
This letter consists of two pages (Source: Hildegard Ernst: Geheimschriften der Habsburger im Dreißigjährigen Krieg. In: Durchhardt/Strosetzki: Siglo de Oro – Decadencia, 1996)
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