The Migration of Poles to Germany in the Contex of the Most Common Polish Surnames
The Migration of Poles to Germany in the Contex of the Most Common Polish Surnames

Summary/Abstract: One of the methods used in studies on the origin of populations is the analysis of the distribution of the surnames that are characteristic for a given nationality. Without going into too much detail as far as the literature on the subject, what should be noted are the fundamental advantages and disadvantages of the method: 1) It yields rather general information on the directions of migration with respect to certain countries and nationality groups; 2) It is not possible to determine the actual number of migrants, or the scale of their influx in a given period, unless comparable data for different periods are available; 3) The presence of a particular surname in a given area is conditioned not only by external migrations, but also by internal ones (secondary migration).

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