Symposium: Estate and Family Names Ending with -meier in Tecklenburger Land

Everyone has one—a family name. It is an important part of our identity. Our family name denotes our being part of a family. However, only very few of us know what our family name means or where it comes from. It is no coincidence that explanations of individual family names are currently enjoying great popularity. Listeners and readers are made aware of the origin and meaning of their names on various radio broadcasts or in daily newspapers.

On 16 November, the Draiflessen Collection would like to dedicate itself to one entire family of names—those with '-meier' as their root—in a scholarly symposium (in German). Since, even though Brenninkmeyer, Eschmeier, Langemeyer, or Tassemeier—the series could be extended indefinitely—are family names that appear with great frequency in Westphalia, surprisingly little is known about their genesis and development.

Speakers:

Josef Bröker: Zur Bedeutung des Hof- und Familiennamens Brenninkmeyer 

Dr. Andreas Eiynck: -meyer-Namen und Meyer-Höfe in Schapen und im südlichen Emsland

Prof. Dr. Christine Fertig: Bauern und Höfe in Westfalen. Wirtschaftliche Einheit, soziale Sicherheit und gesellschaftlicher Status

Roland Linde: Namen und Gesellschaft im Wandel: Die „Vermeierung“ der ländlichen Familien- und Höfenamen in der frühneuzeitlichen Grafschaft Lippe

Prof. Dr. Ann Marynissen: Familiennamen mit „meijer” im Osten der Niederlande

Sebastian Schröder: Kulturgeschichtliche Entwicklung des Tecklenburger Landes

Dr. Christof Spannhoff: Familiennamen auf -meier in der ehemaligen Grafschaft Tecklenburg 

The symposium is supplemented by a small exhibition, in which visitors can receive information about the wide range of names ending with '-meier' in Tecklenburger Land until 17 February 2019.