The earliest references to the Brandstater name are found in records of families living in the Salzburg area in the early 18th century. There are up to 30 variations of the spelling of the name, including Brandst\u00e4ter, Brandstaedter, Brandstatter and Brandstadter. These families were members of a large population of Protestants living outside the city of Salzburg, working as laborers in the Hallein salt mines near Salzburg that were an important part of the local economy, or on farms in the Alpine valleys around Salzburg. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t