Six Unique German Place Names
“Your village is really ugly? Tear it down, that hell!” Oha – the Germans are real killers when it comes to bellyaching. Concealed within these two sentences are six intriguing place names, each carrying its own unique tale waiting to be unravelled.
By Hendrik Werner
1. Oberhäslich
Literally - very ugly.
In the early 16th century, a historical source states that Oberhäslich was initially called Heßlich. You might question why this Saxon village was named in such a way. However, as frequently seen in the German language, a word's meaning is influenced by the duration of a vowel sound. The "ä" in Oberhäslich is pronounced for a longer time because the name originates from "hazel" (Hasel - the light brown colour), not "ugly." Interestingly, the hazel bush is actually quite pretty!
2. Niederreißen
Have you ever heard of 'Nomen est omen'? It's a saying from ancient Rome that means a name can predict the future of a person or a place. In northern Thuringia, they might not have thought about this when they named a village "Niederreissen," which literally means 'to tear down.' Interestingly, the village faced two instances where its name seemed to come true.
The first time was in 1581 when a meteorite fell into a garden, but despite the name, the village stayed standing. The second time was during the Thirty Years' War when mercenaries took the name as an order and actually destroyed the village. The people of Niederreissen didn't give up though – they rebuilt the village. In 2016, the Free State of Thuringia even provided help to reconstruct bridges and roads for the village.
3. Hölle
Literally - Hell!
“Welcome to the holiday resort of Hölle.” This is the sign welcoming visitors to the village of the same name in Franconia. The 400 or so inhabitants take stride in constantly being asked about the name. It probably helps that Hölle, like the entire Höllental valley, is surrounded by the natural heaven of the Franconian Forest. There's also a nearby village called Brand (fire) and another named Leichendorf (literally "cadaver village"), both located in Franconia. Just a fun fact to share!
4. Oha
According to the German dictionary, “oha” is an exclamation of astonishment. In Schleswig-Holstein, an area where people are known for being quite reserved, there are three towns named "Oha." One of these is in the place called Ellerhoop, which also has another interesting name: Rugenranzel. This part of the town is right next to Oha. Although Schleswig-Holstein has the most "Oha" towns in Germany, it didn't get the special license plate. Cars with the plate "OHA" are from Osterode am Harz.
5. Motzen
Nagging, grumbling, complaining – that's Motzen and the Germans seem to have a passion for it. In any case, extensive bellyaching is noticeably one of the traits Germans enjoy internationally. Motzen exists four times as a place name in Germany, for example in Brandenburg on the edge of the Spreewald. Possibly the place name derives from a family name: Motz. And guess what? "Motz" isn't exactly a compliment – it means a messy or unkempt person. However, all Motzers are left with a consolation. The “dirty” word is the origin of the name of one of the greatest geniuses of all time: Mozart.
6. Killer
Thieves are making the "Killer" situation worse. How? Well, "Killer" is actually the name of a village in Baden-Württemberg, located in the Swabian Alb region. And apparently, some people find the name so funny that they regularly steal the village signs. Some of them have already turned up at auctions in the US. A few years ago, the signs were therefore hung up several centimetres higher to make them harder to steal. But it seems to have been of little use. Since 2022, the village has been fighting back in a different way: In Killer, pranksters can buy refrigerator magnets and stickers with a killer design. And it’s perfectly legal!
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