Masur

Masur is a surname of German origin and a geographic ethnonym linked to Masuria. Notable individuals with the surname include Kurt Masur (1927–2015), a German conductor who served as music director of major orchestras such as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.

Masur also refers to a person from Masuria, a historic region in northeastern Europe. The region lay within East Prussia until 1945 and is now part of Poland, located in the Warmian-Momeranian Voivodeship. The area is celebrated for its many lakes and natural scenery, known collectively as the Masurian Lakes. In Polish, the region is called Mazury, and its inhabitants are associated with the demonym Mazur; in German usage, the region is Masuren.

The term Masur thus appears in both genealogical and ethnographic contexts, as well as as a surname. In English-language sources, it is most commonly encountered in reference to people bearing the name and to historical descriptions of Masuria.