The original Von Gerwitz family
came from Silesia , a province in Germany , bordering on Poland . The family was Calvinite. But in one of the numerous wars, the family
was in a position of great danger, during which they vowed that if saved, they
would return to the Catholic Church.
Because of a disagreement with the family, Lorez and Gerhard’s family is
supposed to have left and settled in Baden Baden, where the family took root.
The very earliest surnames in Germany
were taken from the place where the individual lived, so “von” means “of”
followed by the name of the place. The
prefix “von” in a German family name has implied nobility since about 1500 and
took the resemblance of a title. They
dropped the “von” after coming to America .
This information I took from the Biography and Family Tree of Lorenz Gerwitz.
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