German historical accounts often refer to place names that have changed over the years. Germany/Prussia and the Austro-Hungarian empire once extended over parts of Europe (and colonial territories) that are now parts of other countries. Sometimes it is difficult for non-German-speakers to determine which city or region a name actually refers to. The following annotated historical gazetteer will help you determine the English name and current location of historical German place names. For instance, the former East Prussian city of Königsberg became the Russian city of Kaliningrad in 1946. If you are reading a German reference to "Königsberg," even a German-English dictionary may not help you figure out that the historical German place now bears a Russian name. A reference to Bukowina may draw a blank for English-speakers, even if they know the English name is Bukovina. See the glossary below for more. More history in German: Germanic History and Culture.
Bohemia was part of the Austrian Habsburg crown lands from 1526 to 1918.
Breslau
Breslau
Wroclaw
Poland
Brünn
Brno
Brno
Czech Republic
Budweis
Budweis
Budweis Ceske Budejovice
Czech Republic
Bukowina
Bukowina
Bukovina
Romania Ukraine
The region known as Bukovina was part of the Austrian Habsburg crown lands from 1775 to 1918, when it became part of Romania. In 1940 the northern part went to Ukraine and the remaining German population (80,000) was expelled.
Czernowitz Tschernowitz
Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi
Ukraine
The city and district of Chernivtsi were once part of Bukovina. See more about Bukovina above.
Dalmatien
Dalmatien
Dalmatia
Balkans Adriatic coast
Dalmatia was part of the Austrian Habsburg crown lands from 1797 to 1919.
Danzig
Gdansk
Gdansk
Poland
Deutsch-Ostfrika (German East Africa)
Burundi Rwanda Tansania
Burundi Rwanda Tanzania
eastern Africa
Deutsch-Südwestfrika (German South West Africa)
Namibia
Namibia
western Africa
Germany lost its African colonies (1884-1918) after World War I.
Elsass
Elsass
Alsace
France
Galizien
Galizien
Galicia
Poland Ukraine
Director Billy Wilder and other famous Austrians were born in Austro-Hungarian Galicia, various parts of which were part of the Austrian Habsburg crown lands from 1772 to 1919.
Görz
Gorizia
Gorizia
Italy
Hermannstadt
Sibiu
Sibiu
Romania
Karl-Marx-Stadt
Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Germany
Kaschau
Kassa
Kassa
Hungary
Königsberg
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Russia
Königsberg was founded by the Teutonic Order (Deutscher Orden) in 1255. After World War II this part of East Prussia (Ostpreußen) went to the Soviet Union (1946). After Lithuania (Litauen) became independent in 1991, the territory around Kaliningrad became a Russian exclave, cut off from the rest of Russia.
Königsgrätz
Hradec Králove
Hradec Králove
Czech Republic
Kronländer
Kronländer
(Austrian) crown lands
see below
The Austrian Habsburg crown lands (1867-1918) covered most of present-day Austria and the territories of Siebenbürgen, Böhmen, Mähren, Schlesien, Galizien, Bukowina, and Dalmatien (all listed here).
Kronstadt
Brasov
Brasov
Romania
Laibach
Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Slovenia
Lemberg
Lwiw
L'viv / L'vov
Ukraine
Lemberg was the capital of Austrian Galicia (see Galizien above) from 1772 to 1918. Population today: 800,000
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