Wednesday, April 1, 2015

German and Czech names of places, towns and villages (updated)

There is plenty of villages in the area of what is today called Czech Republic which were known under two different names in the past, one Czech and one German. This was caused mainly by presence of two large groups of inhabitants in the area. This fact has its roots deeply in the middle ages.

There was large colonization in the 13th and 14th century of those parts of land which were previously covered by forests. New villages raised on the "greenfield", it means there was no settlement before the colonization. New population was quite often German, coming from the area of German lands west from Bohemia. There were also many Germans coming to larger Czech towns as they were merchants, craftsmen and so on. 

This brought new contributions to the Czech language (there are many many words taken from German) and also meant that some of the villages got German names. Quite often there was no Czech name for the village at all until the beginning of 20th century. This was valid mainly for the areas more or less near to the borders. 

Map of the German parts of Bohemia and Moravia, mostly known as Sudetenland. 

You won't be able to find the German names on current maps. But there are websites which provide dictionaries of the village names both in Czech and German, so if you have the German name, you can search for the current Czech name. Here are links to some of those websites:

61 comments:

  1. Hi i am seeking a place in Czech called Jistebnice..My grandfather was a war refugee to Australia from there when he was 18 yrs old. I am also trying to track what happened to his family. It is believed they were victims of the war. Anything to help i would appreciate

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jistebnice is a town in Southern Bohemia: https://mapy.cz/s/2nF8Z

      Delete
  2. Czech name is Jalůvčí and it'a part of Děčín town in Northern Bohemia. https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jal%C5%AFv%C4%8D%C3%AD

    ReplyDelete
  3. zwodam vie falkenviw Czechoslovakia the town of scheft . I can't find it anywhere !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Scheft was formerly part of the German Empire. In the German Empire, the place was called Scheft.
      The place is now called Hradecká and belongs to Czech Republic.

      Delete
  4. Hi, I am looking for a town called Kreis(?) in East Sudetenland. It may be in an area called Barn. The writing is very hard to read. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It may suggest – Bärn – Moravský Beroun, which is a town in what is now Olomouc county/district; word Kreis (also Landkreis) stands for county/district in German.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravsk%C3%BD_Beroun

      Delete
  5. I am trying to find the Czech name for the town Bladensdorf. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bladensdorf
      Bladensdorf is a place, that after the Treaty of Saint-Germain belonged to Czechoslovakia and was situated in the administrative region Šumperk.
      Bladensdorf was formerly part of the German Empire. In the German Empire, the place was called Bladensdorf. The place is now called Mladoňov and belongs to Czech Republic.

      Delete
  6. Any relatives out there?
    Brian.prokosch@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Looking for three different locations in Bohemia in the 1820 time period:
    Dobric Kraj, Pllzen, Bohemia),Bejrov, Bohemia and Hromics, Bohemia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dobříč is a village and municipality in Plzeň-North District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic.

      Hromice
      Hromice was formerly part of the German Empire. In the German Empire, the place was called Hromnice.
      The place is now called Hromnice and belongs to Czech Republic.

      Delete
  8. I am looking for the village of Samilovice, town Hrotovice, county Zrojmo- for marriage record of Tomas Walla and Agnes Mold from 1884

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anyone know if "Pincetl" is a Czech name?

    ReplyDelete
  11. My Great Grandfather's place of birth is listed on his naturalization record as Posa, Zemplio Czecho Slovakia. I cannot find a place called Posa Zemplio. Any information you could provide would be much appreciated. He was born on May 4,1893. I was told he was married and I believe had children before coming to America. His wife stayed in Czecho Slovakia. Here he then meet my Great-Grandmother and started our family. I've been using Ancestry.com but I cannot get much information on him or anyone beyond him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is most probably village – Poša – in Slovakia; in what is now county of Přešov (Prešovský kraj) - formerly known as Zemplín (Zemplén county).
      At the time your Great Grandfather was born this region (as whole current Slovakia) belonged to Hungary and upon your ancestor´s emigration,
      the region was under Czechoslovakian administration.

      Delete
  12. Is there an easy way to interpret the "Amricanized" spelling if a town? My husbands great grandfather could not write, so on his draft card his place of birth was written in for him & I cannot find it. It's written in as Starjebori, Zrelensco Zupa. Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is a tricky one but it may suggest, it’s a village of Staré Hory in Slovakia; in present-day Banská Bystrica county (a partial area what was formerly known as Zvolenská Župa (Zvolen Zupa/Zólyom county). Zupa here stands for a county and it had been used for administrative divisions of Kingdom of Hungary (lately, for a short period of time, early divisions of Slovakian territory within Czechoslovakia).

      Delete
  13. Is there a Czech town that was once called "Simerin"? This ship's log for my great-grandfather says he lived there before he emigrated in 1884.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Has anyone every hear of a town in Bohemia called "Volteser" or "Valteser"? I believe I found a document that one of my ancestors filed that listed this as his town of birth. I cannot find anything when I google these names. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  15. Working on my son-in-laws family tree. One of his lines show born in Rattboreitz, Bohemia. Cannot locate it on older maps I found on line. Any thoughts as to where this might have been?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Could be: Ratiboř is a municipality and village in Vsetín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic.

      Delete
  16. I'm looking for a town location. On the immigration paper, in 1885, it says they are from Trubau, Bohmen. On the marriage license it says they are from Trebowa, Bohemia. I haven't been able to find anything about either town.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Česká Třebová is a town in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic.

      Delete
    2. Česká Třebová (Czech pronunciation: [ˈtʃɛskaː ˈtr̝̊ɛbovaː]; German: Böhmisch Trübau) is a town in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic.

      You have the same place written in two different ways.

      Delete
  17. I am looking for a village/town named Wohlau and I can only find one with the same name in Poland

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am looking for a town in the former czechoslobakia called oohele. what is it called today

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That "oohele" might be the Magyar/Hungaian name Ujhely, meaning New Town. There are several places in today's Slovakia that have the Slovak version, Nová Ves, in their names.

      Delete
  19. I am looking for a place called Hloubada Village, which would have been in Boudevice County in 1842 in Bohemia. Cesnevice is another place name associated with it. I'm looking for the surname "Thaler" there.

    ReplyDelete
  20. In 1884 two of my relatives came over on German ships from "Bohmen" - Bohemia. There places of origin there were listed as Bubna and Nodhorolegac. The last one looks like a garbled version of some other name. Any ideas anyone?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bubna could be Bubny in Prague: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bubny,+170+00+Prague+7,+Czechia/@50.1009536,14.42886,1006m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x470b94b7d8602a8f:0x30e35e5cb5067036!8m2!3d50.1016092!4d14.4378509

      Delete
  21. My grandfather was born in St Petersdorf, Bohemia, I am trying to find the current name of the city so I can visit there in October 2020

    ReplyDelete
  22. On my grandfathers draftcard it says he was born in Kromphia Czechoslovakia in 1898. I cannot find it on any map. Does it exist?

    ReplyDelete
  23. My last name is Cesky, Very few Ceskys in the USA. I heard that a relative was a princess in Bohemia. Can anyone tell me anything about my last name ?

    ReplyDelete
  24. I am in the philly area.. there is a similar name that today is Shefsky..they are in LA and have family in Bucks county Penna!

    ReplyDelete
  25. My grandmother was born in 1899 in what some US records say is Pisch Czechoslovakia. Not sure if it is a typo and Pisek is meant or not. Can anyone tell me if there was a Pisch (in German or Czech, I can't find either) prior to WW1? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hi Everybody! I was looking at the marriage records of one of my ancestors, where his birthplace was listed as the following (it's hard to read out):
    Wfradov(?), Moravia (he was born in the early 1800s)
    In his death records they have also mentioned Znaim, Moravia as his birth place.
    However I couldn't find anything similar. Have you heard about a place like this?
    Thank you in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, I have already figured that one out, but still couldn't find it in the Brno archives.

      Delete
    2. Try this for the archives:

      https://www.mza.cz/actapublica/matrika/hledani_obec?obec_id=2012

      Delete
  27. My father escaped from Riga, Latvia during WWII to a village in CZ named Elhotten. What is it's Czech name?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://ehemalige-ostgebiete.de/en/place/54668-elhoten-i

      Delete
  28. I found two different names of the town where my grandmother was born--presumably they are in the same area/same town? One is Pataj, Bohemia, the other is Ragrj, Bohemia. This would have been in 1873. Thank you for any enlightenment!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I am looking for help tracking my ancestors. Surname Ksenak but it could be spelled different ways. My great grandfathers brothers immigration record says Krompach, Ruthenian. Czechoslovakia. I am having a terrible time finding information before the immigration. I have some names but they just do not seem to showing up on my research. Any help is appreciated!! Thank you so much!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, I might be related as I was looking for similar information. My great great grandmother was Mary Kozar (Ksenek) and grandfather was Stephen Kozar. I know Stephen was born in Krompach, Austria-Hungary.

      Delete
  30. My Dad’s family came to the US from near Prague, Czech. in 1913 and 2920. My grandmother’s maiden name was Bozena Hlavacek. Her husband was Frank Carl Bouma. Some of the village names my Dad said he was born in or lived in, I can’t find. They are: Svraboy, Vserovice, (Bohemia)Cerni Kostelec and Nehvizdy. Could be incorrect spelling? I think some of my grandmother’ family was sent to the death camps, but would love to find some of my long lost relatives. Some relatives names from early 1900’s were: Jan, Karel, Yohan or Johan and Vaclav Hlavacek. Any info appreciated. Barina.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vserovice is probably: Vršovice, a district of Prague.
      Nehvizdy is a market town in Prague-East District.
      Cerni Kostelec might be Kostelec nad Černými lesy.
      Svraboy might be Svrabov.

      https://en.mapy.cz/zakladni?planovani-trasy&x=14.6633571&y=49.7946593&z=9&base=ophoto&rc=9hu1IxYIzl9h45FxXskk956BXxXV6X9heibxUP63&rs=muni&rs=ward&rs=muni&rs=muni&ri=4186&ri=14968&ri=4796&ri=1749&mrp=%7B%22c%22%3A111%7D&xc=%5B%5D&rut=1

      Delete
  31. My Grandfather's Petition for Naturalization in 1915 lists his birthplace as Pie??elka, Austria in 1880. I remember that he spoke German and sometimes referred to himself as a Bohunk leading me to believe he was from Bohemia. Any idea of the name of the town.

    ReplyDelete
  32. My great great grandfather's Croatian death record on Family Search says he was born 1836 in Kis Ceskoj (Czechia). My great great grandmother was born 1844 according to Croatian records was born in Amhau or Arnhau Ceskoj. Anyone have any ideas that may help me figure out where these places are

    ReplyDelete
  33. I am looking for a town called Barbora that had a church nearby called Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. One of my relatives was baptized there in the 1850s by a chaplain named Franz Jonski.

    ReplyDelete
  34. looking for the town where my maternal grandmother was from. Kosickobello? Not sure of spelling cant locate it on maps. Village near Prague. Her name was Rose Ruscak. Born 1903. Emigrated 1920. Any help would be appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Košičká Bela, a village in eastern Slovakia.

      Delete
    2. The surname Ruščák, pronounced as English "ROOSH-chock," still occurs in Košická Belá, which is a few miles northwest of the city of Košice.

      Delete
  35. Looking for a place in Czech called Woppaur. Not sure if this is the German name for the place.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hello,
    I am looking for a place that used to be called Vrachy (may be spelled wrong, apologies) which was in Bohemia? I appreciate the help, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hello,
    I am looking for a place that used to be called Vrachy (may be spelled wrong, apologies) which was in Bohemia? I appreciate the help, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I am looking for Brenn settlement in Böhmisch Leipa sudetenland.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hello, I am looking for a place named Schendi or similar. Likely German. This is how it was written on an immigration document but it also lists the immigrants as unable to read or write.

    ReplyDelete