List of place names in Poland of German origin

The following is a list of place names in Poland of German origin, sorted by Polish voivodeship.

Many current and historical regions of Poland have throughout history been substantially, or primarily, under a strong German influence or population. The Kingdom of Prussia, and the subsequent German Empire, were made from several areas that today are part of the modern nation state of Poland. Several areas with a primarily Polish population belonging to Germany were lost after the First World War, and several areas of primarily German population were lost after the Second World War. Some of these areas had been under continuing, or intermittent, German control for several centuries, with some having traditionally been inhabited by German (or Germanic) peoples.

In the wake of the Potsdam Conference, and the annexation, transfer and ethnic cleansing of the former eastern territories of Germany, the Commission for the Determination of Place Names was charged with determining names in the newly acquired territories, often either by means of polonizing or renaming.

As a result of the areas' rich history, several place names in what is Poland today have a German origin.

Lesser Poland

Polish nameGerman originPolonisationFirst mention (German)Meaning (German)NotesReferences
FrywałdFreiwaldTransliteration
LanckoronaLandskronTransliteration
Nowy TargNeumarktTranslation
SzynwałdSchönwaldeTransliteration
TymbarkTannenbergTransliteration
WaksmundWachsmundTransliteration

Lower Silesia

Polish nameGerman originPolonisationFirst mention (German)Meaning (German)NotesReferences
BogatyniaReichenauCalque
RychbachReichenbach"Rich stream" (Piława River)Renamed Dzierżoniów after Jan Dzierżon in 1946
Nowa RudaNeurode
WałbrzychWalbrich"Forest castle"Late medieval German version of Wallenberg or Walmberg

Lubusz

Polish nameGerman originPolonisationFirst mention (German)Meaning (German)NotesReferences
BrójceBrätz
CybinkaZiebingen
JaniszowiceJähnsdorf
KunowiceKunersdorf
Nowa SólNeusalz [an der Oder]Translation"New salt"Founded as Zum Neuen Saltze in 1563.[1] Documented as Neusalzburg ("New Salzburg") in 1585 and later as Neusalz ("New Salt").[2]
Nowe BiskupiceNeu BischofseeTranslation
Nowe MiasteczkoNeustädtelTranslation
SkwierzynaSchwerin [an der Warthe]
Stare BiskupiceAlt Bischofsee
Stary DwórAltenhof

Pomerania

Polish nameGerman originPolonisationFirst mention (German)Meaning (German)NotesReferences
Czarna DąbrówkaSchwarz DamerkowTranslation
PodkomorzycePuttkamerhofTranslationAlso known in German as Niemietzke
Czarna WodaSchwarzwasserTranslation"Black water"
SzembrukSchönbrückTransliteration
OksywieOxhöftArchaic; today known as Gdynia
Nowy StawNeuteichTranslation"New Pond"
RyjewoRehhofTransliteration
Stare PoleAltfeldeTranslation"Old field"
Stary TargAltmarkTranslation"Old Market"
SztutowoStutthof

Podkarpackie Voivodeship

Polish nameGerman originPolonisationFirst mention (German)Meaning (German)NotesReferences
FrysztakFreistadtTransliteration
ŁańcutLandshutTransliteration

Upper Silesia

Polish nameGerman originPolonisationFirst mention (German)Meaning (German)NotesReferences
KluczborkKreuzburg

Warmia-Masuria

Towns

Polish nameGerman originPolonisationFirst mention (German)Meaning (German)NotesReferences
BartoszyceBartensteinTransliteration1332"Bartians' rock"Originally known as Rosenthal
DziałdowoSoldauTransliteration
GołdapGoldapTransliteration
RastemborkRastenburgTransliterationCurrent name Kętrzyn
OstródaOsterodeTransliteration1270Named after the town in Saxony
JańsborkJohannisburgTransliterationCurrent name Pisz
RynRheinTransliteration1405Named after the Rhine
ZalewoSaalfeldTransliteration1299Named after the town in Thuringia
Wartembork[nb 1]WartenburgTransliteration1466Named after Wartenburg on the Elbe; today known as Barczewo, after Polish national activist Walenty Barczewski (1865–1928); named given in December 1946 after the area was transferred to Poland.[3]REF
BiskupiecBischofsburgTransliteration1389"Bishop's castle"Name changed after annexation to Poland, 1946
BraniewoBraunsberg (originally Brunsberg)"Bruno's rock"Named after Bruno von Schauenburg (1205–1281), according to Johann Friedrich Goldbeck (1748–1812)
Dobre MiastoGuttstadtTranslation"Good city"
FromborkFrauenburgTransliteration"Our Lady's fortress"Allegedly named after the widow of the stronghold owner, who gave it to the bishop
OlsztynAllensteinTransliteration1348"Castle on [the] Alle"The river Alle is today known as Łyna
MelzakMehlsackTransliteration"Flour sack"Linguistic corruption of Old Prussian Malcekuke, "Woods of the Subterraneous" or "Devil's ground". Today known as Pieniężno after Seweryn Pieniężny (1852–1894)

Villages

Polish nameGerman originPolonisationFirst mention (German)Meaning (German)NotesReferences
BrąswałdBraunswaldeTransliteration1337Originally Brunswalde
BukwałdGross Buchwalde
GietrzwałdDietrichswalde1352
KierzbuńKirschbaum
KronowoKronau
NikielkowoNickelsdorfTranslation1366
Stary OlsztynAlt Allenstein
SząbrukSchönbrückTransliteration
TomaszkowoThomsdorf
WysogotówekWeißkottenWeiß = white, high or upper; kotten = cottage or Goths

West Pomerania

Polish nameGerman originPolonisationFirst mention (German)Meaning (German)NotesReferences
BarlinekBerlinchenFounded as Nova Berlyn by Brandenburgian margraves.
Biały BórBaldenburg
DębnoNeudamm
GozdowiceGüstebiese
GryficeGreifenberg
KarlinoKörlin [an der Persante]
KoszalinKöslin
KrosinoGrössin
KrosinoGroß Krössin
BarwiceBärwaldeTransliterationToday Mieszkowice[4]
DębogóraEichbergTranslation"Oak mountain"
ZielenicaGrünwaldeTranslation"Green forest"
LipkaLindenTranslation
FredlądczykMärkisch FriedlandTransliterationToday Mirosławiec
HorzewoHorstTransliterationToday Niechorze
Nowe WarpnoNeuwarpTranslation
Stary KostrzynekAltcüstrinchenTranslation

See also

Notes

  1. also spelled Wartenberg, Wartenbergk, Wathberg, Bartenburg, Warperc, Wasperc, Wartbór, Wartbórz

References

  1. Weczerka, p. 351
  2. Weczerka, p. 352
  3. Barczewo.pl Archived April 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (in Polish)
  4. Owczarek (2008), p. 90
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