Schwierige Familiennamen auf -eis(en) in Sachsen und Bayern

Résumé

The article deals with some selected compound surnames, the roots of which consist of -eis(en) ‘iron’. It provides a revealing insight into their morphology and etymology. The names in question are characteristically distributed in certain regions of Saxony and Bavaria. By metaphorically designating blacksmiths (occasionally even miners or peasants) they turn out to be obsolete dialect words or technical terms for various wrought-iron objects.