Schmerse (surname)
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[edit] Surname - Origin and Meaning
The surname Schmerse is first mentioned in 1543 when it appears in a tax list (tax for war against Turks) of the village Kernein near Landsberg (Warthe) in Neumark. This village about 1260 had been beset with settlers by Cistercians of Monastery Paradies which was a filiation of Monastery Lehnin in Havelland region close to Berlin. Among the posession of Lehnin was the village Schmergow, possible place of origin and name donor of a new settler. The name is derived from the Slav word smardz which stands for the edible morel. The difference from smar(d)z- to schmers- is easily explained: a vowel in front of letter r is subject to extensive change. The appropriate Slav root smr- appears in Old Sorbic as smer-, in New Sorbic and Russian as smor- and in Polish as smar-.
As an anecdote may be mentioned that the word schmerse (and also schmese) is also present in Bargoensch (Bargunsch), a westphalian gibberish (thieves' cant), where it means trousers (or suit). A surname has not been derived from this word.
[edit] Variants of the Name
- Schmärse (1677 Klein Krebbel) (frequency of the name acc. to D-Info telephone cd in 2003: 1)
- Schmaerse (1830 Ostrow) (4)
- Schmarsche (1737 Birnbaum) (0)
- Schmarse (1605 Zielenzig) (19)
- Schmarso (1750 Kernein) (0)
- Schmeerse (1670 Kernein) (0)
- Schmersen (1790 Frankfurt/O.) (0)
- Schmerser (1680 Schönrode) (0)
- Schmerse (1543 Kernein) (123)
- Schmerso (?) (4)
Another variant is a spelling ending with -ow, but there is no genealogical relationship.
[edit] Geographical Distribution
- Schmerse
- Until late 19th century name bearers are found almost only in Neumark, especially in Kernein and County Landsberg/W. (the -ow-variant mentioned is to be found only west of the Oder River, in Altmark as well as Uckermark).
number of born shown in each half of century
[edit] Celebrities
Schmerse over centuries have almost all been farmers and without any celebrities; perhaps worth mentioning is
- Schmerse, Carl David, * 1797, † abt 1860, wealthy miller at Küstrin
[edit] Geographical Designations
- Schmergow, Co. Potsdam (zip code: 14550)
- Schmersau, Co. Osterburg (39606)
- Schmarsau, Co. Dannenberg (= 29451 Dannenberg/Elbe)
- Schmarsau, Co. Dannenberg (= 29485 Lemgow)
- Schmarsau, Co. Glogau (W53234)
- Schmarse, Co. Oels (W53141)
- Schmarse, Co. Züllichau-Schwiebus (W51142)
- Schmarsow, Co. Demmin (17129)
- Schmarsow, Co. Ostprignitz (16949)
- Schmarsow, Co. Pasewalk (17309)
- Schmarsow, Co. Schlawe (W52239)
- Schmartsch, Co. Breslau (W53131)
[edit] Literature
- Schmerse, Dr. Gerd C.: Family Histoty Schmerse from Neumark, published by Grüneberg Lenzen 2002, ISBN 3-9808246-1-6
[edit] Genealogical Researchers
- Schmerse, Gerd
- Schmerse, Herbert †
- Schmerse, Linda (emigrants to Wisconsin)
