ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 934
http://www.s-gabriel.org/934
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* NOTE: Some of the Academy's early reports     *
*       contain errors that we haven't yet      *
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From: "S Friedemann" 
25 Apr 1998

Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked for help with a German masculine name set in the late 16th
century, and said you were considering <Lazarus Wolfgang von Ravensburg> and
<Albrecht von Ravensburg>.  You also asked what the difference between <von>
and <zu> was.

Both names are excellent choices.  Our sources list <Albrecht> in 1584,
<Lazarus> in 1400, and <Wolfgang> in 1527 [1].  Double given names were used
in your period, and so any combination of the three would be authentic.
<Ravensburg> was founded in the 12th century, and thus was around a few
hundred years before the period you are interested in.

The difference between <von> and <zu> is roughly that between the English
<of> and <at>.  <Of> and <von> are usually used with the proper names of
places, as in <of York> and <von Bremen>; <zu> and <at> are used with
generic place descriptions, generally with the definite article, as in <atte
Brok(e)> 'at the brook' and <zum Bach> 'at the brook.'  <Zum> is a
contraction of <zu dem> "at the."  Your choice of <von> in <von Ravensburg>
was therefore correct.

We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will not
hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further
questions.  Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Arval
Benicoeur, Lindorm Eriksson, Raphael Van Antwerpen, Talan Gwynek, and
Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn.

For the Academy,
Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael Caermyrdin

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References:

[1] Talan Gwynek "Medieval German Given Names from Silesia"
http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/bahlow_v.htm