The entire Welschtirol-province of Trento is strongly marked by surnames of clear German origin. Moreover, the territory has been inhabited for centuries by populations belonging to the Tyrolean culture and, before that, by the Lombard presence. Checking the surnames of the pupils who attended the popular schools of Pergine from 1888 to 1897, for example, many surnames of German origin are found. Obviously these were not school children of Germans who lived in Pergine for reasons of military service or belonging to Austrian families but they were children of families who had citizenship in the municipality of Pergine or children of Pergine and families from the province of Trento. In the previous episode some of them were mentioned and, to confirm the strong presence of the German surname, we continue by remembering them OberoslerThe OccofferThe OchnerThe OlzerThe Obs with its variations that deserve special note.
In Pergine in the last decade of the nineteenth century there were many families who bore the surname Obs with a particular nickname: Oss-Bals, Oss-Buner, Oss-Cazador, Oss-Cech, Oss-Chemper, Oss-Chiti, Oss-Eberle, Oss-Emer, Oss-Noser, Oss-Papot, Oss-Pegorar, Oss-Pinter, Oss- Prussiot, Oss-Stulzer, Oss-Tolvi, Oss-Zavarot. And in the 1850 registry office, there are also families with the surname Oss-Roveder And Oss-Tonderle. It seems almost obvious that the nicknames attributed to Obs, were used to distinguish families, one different from the other but with the same stock and presumably denoted a particular characteristic of the family. As, Oss-Cazadorfor example, could indicate that a family member was a skilled hunter. Oss-Pegorarperhaps a sheep herder and Oss-Pintera cooper.
There are also surnames of German origin but Italianised by notaries of Italian origin, such as Anderle, Angels, Baptists (those coming from Palai en Bersntol), Frisanco, Lenzi, Mottesi Pallaoro, Petri, Piva, Pintarelli, Stefani…
Etymologically Anderle, for example, derives from Anderlein. Angels from Engel And Lenzimay derive from the Old German “Lenz” (means Spring) other surnames such as Pompermaier, Palaier, Battisti which in Bersntol would be Hachler they are surnames of families from Bersntol (Mocheni valley) who settled on the side of the town from 1700 onwards. (continues)
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