Concentration camps

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gokyu
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Concentration camps

#1

Post by gokyu » 26 Jul 2003, 03:38

I've always been interested to know what the names of some of these vernichtungslager mean if translated into English...a few seem obvious:

Auschwitz - The German transliteration of the Polish city of Oswiecim
(But does Birkenau or Monowitz mean anything?)

Nordhausen - North Houses

But what of the others, such as:

Mauthausen, Sachsenhausen (What kind of houses?)

Ravensbrück (My initial thought is "Raven's Brook", but it can't be that easy, can it? :))

Bergen-Belsen

Buchenwald

Dachau

Theresienstadt (I know stadt = city)

Neuengamme ... New...?

Natzweiler

Majdanek - This doesn't sound German....sounds like it's the name of the town where it was located...in Poland, I think

Sobibor (Same as above...doesn't sound German....)

Ohrdruf

etc...if you can think of any others, just add 'em :)

Vielen dank :)

-Bryan

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Wulpe
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Location: Austria

#2

Post by Wulpe » 26 Jul 2003, 08:38

Mauthausen

Maut = toll (toll levy in Mauthausen harbor since 904)

Sachsenhausen

Sachsen = Saxons

Buchenwald

Buchen = beech trees; Wald = forest

Dachau

is first mentioned as Dahauua in 805, which means lehmige Au = clayey meadow

Theresienstadt

in czech Terezín, was created in 1780 by Joseph II as a fortress, who named it after his mother Maria Theresia


gerrit bloemen
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Re: Concentration camps

#3

Post by gerrit bloemen » 27 Jul 2003, 15:06

gokyu wrote:I've always been interested to know what the names of some of these vernichtungslager mean if translated into English...a few seem obvious:

Auschwitz - The German transliteration of the Polish city of Oswiecim
(But does Birkenau or Monowitz mean anything?)

Nordhausen - North Houses

But what of the others, such as:

Mauthausen, Sachsenhausen (What kind of houses?) houses of the saxons sachsen is also a german "bundesstaat"= province dresden is most famous and was the place of the king in the former kingdom of sachsen also leipzig saxons form an old german people in antiquity

Ravensbrück (My initial thought is "Raven's Brook", but it can't be that easy, can it? :)) brücke means bridge

Bergen-Belsen bergen means mountains in germany a hill is a mountain have been there its rather flat but the city has very old houses

Buchenwald wald is wood buchen is a sort of trees, look in your dictionary

Dachau

Theresienstadt (I know stadt = city) theresia is a women name, the most famous is queen maria theresia from austria about 1700

Neuengamme ... New...?

Natzweiler

Majdanek - This doesn't sound German....sounds like it's the name of the town where it was located...in Poland, I think

Sobibor (Same as above...doesn't sound German....)

Ohrdruf

etc...if you can think of any others, just add 'em :)

Vielen dank :)

-Bryan

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PAK
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Location: Aachen/Germany

Re: Concentration camps

#4

Post by PAK » 27 Jul 2003, 15:26

gokyu wrote:I've always been interested to know what the names of some of these vernichtungslager mean if translated into English...a few seem obvious:
The names are simply names of cities.
So the names are not related to a concentration camp or its purpose.
If you want to know why the german citeies have these names, well, I can't help you, most of the cities names root in the regional dialect, so I just could speak for Franken :D

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Starinov
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Location: Québec, Canada.

Re: Concentration camps

#5

Post by Starinov » 29 Jul 2003, 22:26

gokyu wrote: Auschwitz - The German transliteration of the Polish city of Oswiecim
(But does Birkenau or Monowitz mean anything?)
Birkenau is the german name for polish Brzezinka. It's the name of a village close to Auschwitz. Same for Monowitz - Monowice.

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