My mother language is also German. And since I was very young when I started to read Tolkien I started with the translations of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. Even later when I had learned a bit of English in school (I was not very found of it and just did what was absolutely unavoidable - with the result of learning not very much), I still got the translations of The Unfinished Tales and The Books of Lost Tales (beside some other books by JRR Tolkien).
My first try in the original language was a hard one: I found a copy of The Lays of Beleriand in a bookstore and at once bought it. I was only able to follow the Story because I knew it out of the other books. But I learned by the attempt and by the following attempt to make a prose translation in the style of a bi-lingual edition, fitting to the lines of the poems.
Now a few years later a have read many books of Tolkien in English including all the ones in print in German translation. I have also a good collection of German translations. I agree with what was said before: A translation however good can never reach the original. Some times the new language gives some opportunities which can enhance single points (like the use of 'Elben' instead of 'Elven' in the German translations), but such things are rare and do not compensate the shortcomings of the translation.
And some translations are really bad. The new The Lord of the Rings translation by Wolfgang Krege is such an example. But his translations of The Hobbit and The Silamrillion show that he is able to make better once.
So my advice is: if you can, take the original language, and if you want the book for children that can only read (or understand) their mother language, ask first if there are more than on translation available and try to find out which one is better.
Respectfully
Findegil
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