> Is there a recommended way to use UTF-8 in firebird with jaybird?

Nothing special, you just specify the correct encoding for connection, it
can be ISO8859_1, it can be UNICODE_FSS. Driver will correctly translate
that into Unicode.

> I am in transition of an webapp which used to use ISO8859_1 to use UTF-8
> and would like to change that in the database too.
> Anyway, I need german collations as well as to transcode all existing
> data.
>
> Any suggestions?

If you use Firebird 1.x.x, you will have problems with Unicode in Firebird -
there are no collations for UNICODE_FSS. As far as I know, this have changed
in FB 2.0, but not yet available.

Roman