Overview

Over the last year in context of Code for Niederrhein (CFN), especially the weekly online meetings, we have added the origin of the names of the streets in Moers to OSM. We added description, wikipedia- and wikidatalinks.

More than 1000 streets were processed.

The book “Moeser Straßen - Geschichte und Deutung - zum 700-jährigen Stadtjubiläum” (Moeser streets - history and interpretation - on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the town) by Peter Hostermann, published by the town of Moers and made available online, was our main source. In addition to a comprehensive ethymological study, the book also contains the dates when the streets were named, in many cases the date of the town council decision that led to the naming. The book also lists renamings, so that we were able to include these for Moers if the course of the street remained identical or if an exact description of the old course of the street is documented.

In addition, the street index has been entered for many streets; here the work is not yet complete and will be pursued further.

Tags used:

• name:etymology:wikidata
• name:etymology:wikipedia
• name:etymology:description
• name:start_date (yyyy-mm-dd)
• old_name: VON-BIS (yyyy)
• de:strassenschluessel

Crew

• black_bike
• tffmh
• Nastja G
• noninc

Web

You can see the results at the following link (might take some more days until all data is up to date): https://etymology.dsantini.it/?lang=en-EN#6.633,51.46,13.3,type

“Moeser Straßen - Geschichte und Deutung - zum 700-jährigen Stadtjubiläum”: https://www.moers.de/system/files/2022-07/moerser_strassen.pdf

Code for Niederrhein: https://www.codeforniederrhein.de

OSM Project page: osm.wiki/Moers/Projekte/Stra%C3%9Fennamen

Findings

Some interesting take-aways from our work, with no claim to completeness, historical or other relevance.

General

A cadastral map existed from 1831, this being the first source of street names.

An interesting documented process is the naming of Antonia Street, Elena Street and Xenia Street there, and in our experience could represent the “modern standard for naming streets” - the council record here reads:

• Proper and Conservative for the CDU,
• all street names begin with the letter of the street from which they branch,
• women’s names for the Greens and considering the equality office and the press office,
• and the SPD wouldn’t say anything because the clerk in the administration could be in the SPD

The council resolution was passed unanimously in 1995.

Street renamings

There are several identifiable phases in which major street name changes were carried out.

• 1933+ - renaming of streets in the spirit of the National Socialists.
• 1945+ - Removal of “NS names”, new naming after victims or renaming back.
• 1976-1977 - Municipal reform, to avoid duplication with newly incorporated districts, streets had to be renamed.

Historical place names

Especially on the outskirts of Moers there are many street names that can be traced back to field names, names of (historical) farms and characteristics of the terrain. Examples are Am Anger, Im Bruckschefeld, Boschheideweg, Stufenweg, Dongstraße.

Industry and trade

Many references to mining can be found in the street names. Examples include Schlägelstraße, Eisenstraße, Haldenstraße, Glückaufstraße, Bergwerkstaße and Wetterstraße.

The “Rheinpreußen” coalmine appears to be particularly prominent, and street names are often associated with this theme.

There are many references to agriculture, but also to trade and crafts. Especially in the peripheral areas of Moers there are many references to agriculture, old farm names, field names. There are also references to older forms of trade, such as in Schustergasse, Fieselstraße (oil mill), Pfefferstraße (spice trade) and Zur Alten Wassermühle.

References to the theme can also be found in recent history, such as Edeka-Platz and Raiffeisenstraße; here the businesses had an influence on the naming.

Local history

Time and again, the history of the Moers fortress can be found in the street names. In the 1660s Moers Castle and the town, provided it was defended diligently by its inhabitants, were regarded as an “impregnable fortress”. The fortifications were demolished in 1763 at the end of the Seven Years’ War at the behest of Friedrich II of Prussia. At that time, the fortifications were already in decay. Examples include the Wallstrasse, Nordring, Südring, Ostring, Westring and Kastell.

References to the old and new town can be found in the street names.

Interesting street names here are also:

• Galgenbergsheide - (literal gallowshillmoor) Reminiscent of a punishment site that existed here around 1612.
• Leichenweg - (literal corpseway) The path over which the funeral procession led to the cemetery.
• Schwarzer Weg - (literal black way) A path to bypass the customs station built by the Counts of Moers (black_bike claims it was named in his honour)

Honours of National History

As in many places in Germany, Moers is home to streets with names that represent national historical tributes.

Cheruskerstrasse and Arminiusstrasse.

There are references to the wars of liberation against Napoleon and to Prussia. Körnerstraße (Theodor Körner), Blücherstraße, Ermlandweg, Görlitzerstraße, Masurenstraße, Memelstraße, Tannenbergstraße etc..

An amusing name is Lützstraße, the street name is supposed to be reminiscent of a Silesian river called Lütz. However, a river named Lütz cannot be found. One explanation could be that there was a river called “Zülz” in Silesia and that the map was read incorrectly. The river Zülz (today Polish Biala) rises near Klein-Pramen and flowed into the Hotzenplotz.

Persons from Moers

There are some references to Emanuel Felke and his Jungborn. Felke was a Protestant pastor and advocate of natural medicine. His activities in Moers included the purchase of land and the establishment of Jungbornpark.

Street names include Am Jungbornpark, Emanuelstraße, Felkestraße, Jungbornstraße.

Albert-Altwicker-Straße, mayor of Repelen-Baerl between 1924-1944, died 25.10.1944 in a bombing raid. In 1967 he was successfully proposed to be honoured by a street name, the justification “deserving citizen of the Rheinkamp municipality”. The fact that Altwicker was mayor during the entire NS period and the resulting implications are apparently ignored to this day.

Weygoldstraße, Dr. Heinrich Weygold, born 01.05.1886 in Moers, was a veterinarian and councillor and died on 14.09.1955 during a council meeting in Moers.

Clausthalstraße, goes back to the Peter Hartzing - Clausthal Foundation. Peter Hartzing, born on the Japanese island of Hirado in 1637 as the son of a Japanese woman, a pupil at the Adolfinum, came to Duisburg in 1655 from studying mathematics in Leiden to devote himself to physics and metaphysics. He later became a mining administrator in Clausthal. He later passed on part of his fortune to his school in Moers, the “clausthal Foundation”, from which scholarships are still awarded today.

(de to en translation by Nastja G)