You're right. In correct German it should be "Von dem Berg(e)" or "Von den Bergen". But nonetheless there are several Von der Berg families in Germany and Van der Berg in Flanders and Holland. It may be that the dialect in Flanders/Holland an in the West of Germany was more permissive in terms of grammar. Another reason may be, that many of the Von der Berg names were also written/have their origin in VON DER BURG, which then in turn would be correct grammar. Regards, Ingolf Vogel ----- Original Message ----- From: Jim & Muriel Gambrel <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001 4:34 PM Subject: [SURNAME-ORIGINS] Thunderberg, Vonderburg, etc > One thing puzzles me about these names - If the name was Von Der Berg, > that is not correct grammer? Should it not be Von DEN Berg, or Von > DIE Berge? Please enlighten me. > Muriel > > > ============================== > Add as many as 10 Good Years To Your Life > If you know how to reduce these risks. > http://www.thirdage.com/health/wecare/hearthealth/index.html > >