[Cz-L] CZERNOWITZ AND ROMAN ON THE PRUT RIVER-WOLKENSTEIN SURNAME

Good day!
 
Two brother, Jean and Ernest WOLKENSTEIN were born in the 1880's to Louis
and Leisa WOLKENSTEIN. (Surname of parents assumed as only given names were on
Ernest's 1913 Brooklyn marriage certificate.)
 
Documents suggest that Jean, born 1880, was born in Roman. Ernest's, born
1889, was born in Czernowitz.
 
I have done some google type research and have leaned they are on the same
Prut River and Roman is about 106 miles NNW of Czernowitz.
 
I am not knowledgeable in Jewish (which I assume they were), political or
economic history of the region during that time period. Would there have been a
reason or would it have been uncommon for the parents to have moved from
Roman to Czernowitz?
 
Also, I know nothing about the WOLKENSTEIN surname. All I can find is the
biography of Oswald Von Wolkenstein (1377-1455), Austrian muscian, poet and
nobleman. No leads there. "Wolk" seems to be a lower German form of Walter.
"Stein" refers to a stone cutter or a place that is stoney. "EN', I think
reflets "son of".
 
Anyone out there that can expand upon and/or correct what I think I know?
 
In the US the brothers changed their names to WOLTON and VON WOLKENTEN
during or after WWI, but no later than the early 1920's.
 
Thank you!
 
David Brener, Fargo, ND
Received on 2006-10-18 06:31:26