[Surname] Re: Paetkau, origin and meaning...
in reply to a message by Getb2
Other German speaking States include Austria and Lichtenstein. Switzerland is three quarters ethnic German. Historically, millions of German speaking people lived throughout eastern Europe and the Volga region in Russia. A person may have a German last name and identify as Czech and the other way around. Actress Franke Potente is a German actress with an Italian last name. This is the result if intermarriage. Swedish actor Max von Sydow has a German last name. Claus von Bülow identified as Danish but looks ethnic German and has a German last name. Sometimes migration or changing borders. Germany lost land and ethnic Germans to Denmark. FYI.