I am posting this under a separate heading for easier retrieval. Recording clerks at immigration stations often wrote surnames and place-names phonetically. While this poses many puzzles to the family researcher, I am finding a Jewish Gen website most helpful, because it works with a phonetic spelling tool and gives you a large selection of similar sounding places. And when you find a match, you can then go to the country (as places are shown with GPS locators) to find the present day spelling. Most Eastern countries have changed German place names to their present country's language, and you will find references on this site also. Here is the link: http://www.jewishgen.org/Communities/LocTown.asp Aida