diff --git a/cookbook/helper/recipe_url_import.py b/cookbook/helper/recipe_url_import.py
index 10050f8c7..6aec16b03 100644
--- a/cookbook/helper/recipe_url_import.py
+++ b/cookbook/helper/recipe_url_import.py
@@ -247,10 +247,27 @@ def parse_description(description):
 
 
 def clean_instruction_string(instruction):
-    normalized_string = normalize_string(instruction)
+    # handle HTML tags that can be converted to markup
+    normalized_string = instruction \
+        .replace("<nobr>", "**") \
+        .replace("</nobr>", "**") \
+        .replace("<strong>", "**") \
+        .replace("</strong>", "**")
+    normalized_string = normalize_string(normalized_string)
     normalized_string = normalized_string.replace('\n', '  \n')
     normalized_string = normalized_string.replace('  \n  \n', '\n\n')
-    return normalized_string
+
+    # handle unsupported, special UTF8 character in Thermomix-specific instructions,
+    # that happen in nearly every recipe on Cookidoo, Zaubertopf Club, Rezeptwelt
+    # and in Thermomix-specific recipes on many other sites
+    return normalized_string \
+        .replace("", _('reverse rotation')) \
+        .replace("", _('careful rotation')) \
+        .replace("", _('knead')) \
+        .replace("Andicken ", _('thicken')) \
+        .replace("Erwärmen ", _('warm up')) \
+        .replace("Fermentieren ", _('ferment')) \
+        .replace("Sous-vide ", _("sous-vide"))
 
 
 def parse_instructions(instructions):
diff --git a/cookbook/locale/de/LC_MESSAGES/django.po b/cookbook/locale/de/LC_MESSAGES/django.po
index 8d57d7c62..eb97192d2 100644
--- a/cookbook/locale/de/LC_MESSAGES/django.po
+++ b/cookbook/locale/de/LC_MESSAGES/django.po
@@ -528,6 +528,35 @@ msgstr "Du hast mehr Benutzer in Deinem Space als erlaubt."
 msgid "One of queryset or hash_key must be provided"
 msgstr "Es muss die Abfrage oder der Hash_Key angeben werden"
 
+#: .\cookbook\helper\recipe_url_import.py:265
+msgid "reverse rotation"
+msgstr "Linkslauf"
+
+#: .\cookbook\helper\recipe_url_import.py:266
+msgid "careful rotation"
+msgstr "Kochlöffel"
+
+#: .\cookbook\helper\recipe_url_import.py:267
+msgid "knead"
+msgstr "Kneten"
+
+#: .\cookbook\helper\recipe_url_import.py:268
+msgid "thicken"
+msgstr "Andicken"
+
+#: .\cookbook\helper\recipe_url_import.py:269
+msgid "warm up"
+msgstr "Erwärmen"
+
+#: .\cookbook\helper\recipe_url_import.py:270
+msgid "ferment"
+msgstr "Fermentieren"
+
+#: .\cookbook\helper\recipe_url_import.py:271
+msgid "sous-vide"
+msgstr "Sous-vide"
+
+
 #: .\cookbook\helper\shopping_helper.py:152
 msgid "You must supply a servings size"
 msgstr "Sie müssen eine Portionsgröße angeben"