When a researcher delves into Latvian church books, they inevitably encounter historical place names. How can one interpret these names, understand their modern equivalents, and find additional information about specific locations?
Historically, place names in Latvia were recorded in Latvian, German, and Russian, and these names often differed significantly. For example, Jelgava was historically referred to as Mītava or Jelgava in Latvian, but as Mitau in German. Even river names varied: theLatvian reiver names Gauja and Lielupe were known in German as Kurländische Aa and Livländische Aa. Russian names could also be completely different: Daugavpils was called Dünaburg in German and Двинcк (Dvinsk) in Russian.
Where to Look for Help with Historical Place Names
1. Online Resources
One of the easiest tools is the Vietvārdi Latvijā (Placenames in Latvia) webpage . This resource allows you to search for German names and find their Latvian equivalents. However, researchers should proceed cautiously because many estates share the same names. For instance, "Neuhof" (New Manor) is a common name for multiple locations in Latvia. Identifying the correct Neuhof often requires consulting historical maps, such as those available on vēsture.dodies.lv.
While researching the Veselava area, I came across the manor name Neuhof in church records. Examining historical maps clarified that it referred to the Jaunrauna Manor (Ronneburg Neuhof), which is the closest Neuhof to Veselava. Both belonged to the Rauna Lutheran parish.
2. Baltisches Historisches Ortslexikon
I’ve previously written about the 1892/1893 address books, but another invaluable source for historical place research is the Baltisches Historisches Ortslexikon (Baltic Historical Gazetteer). Published in two volumes (1985 for Estonia and 1990 for Latvia), this German-language resource was compiled by the Baltische Historische Kommission (Baltic Historical Commission). It consolidates key information about historical places from written sources and is available online .
Case Study: Veselava Manor in the Gazetteer
Here’s what you can find about Veselava Manor (Wesselshof) in the Baltisches Historisches Ortslexikon:
Historical and Modern Names: Lists both names, e.g., Wesselshof and Veselauska. The gazetteer covers manors, towns, and villages.
Location: Provides distance from major towns, e.g., 12 km from Cēsis (Germ. Wenden) and 9 km from the Rauna (Germ. Ronneburg) church.
Land Division: Describes land use according to the 1909/1912 address book. Veselava had:
1,344 ha of manor land (Germ. Hoflage),
701 ha of allotted land (Germ. Quote),
2,953 ha of peasant land (Germ. Bauerland), including 53 peasant farms (Germ. Gesinden).
History: Details significant historical events, such as:
Establishment of a tobacco factory in 1782,
Peasant unrest in 1841.
Owners: Lists long-term owners. Veselava was owned by the Campenhausen family from 1797 to 1920.
Administrative Affiliation: Indicates historical administrative divisions, such as Veselava Civil Parish.
Parish: Notes the church affiliation, in this case, Rauna Parish.
Estate Properties: Includes information on subsidiary estates, taverns, and mills. In this case, the listed properties include Paula Sub-Manor (German: Beihof, abbreviated Bh.), and livestock estates (German: Hoflage, abbreviated Hofl.) located in Pakodes, Rabakas, Sīļi, and Skujas. Additionally, from 1826, properties in Rieķi and Mellužas were also live stock estates.
Name Variants: Explains the origins of the name. The name Veselava (Germ. Wesselshof) derives from its first owner, Wesselowsky. In 1909, the name was recorded as Veselauska, while by 1935, it became Veselava.
At the end of the entry, you’ll find references to sources.
Information on Towns and Villages
For towns and villages, the gazetteer includes additional details:
History,
Economy, transportation, and demographics,
Secular buildings,
Churches of all denominations,
City districts and suburbs,
Name variants.
Additional Features
The gazetteer also provides explanations for historical terms and abbreviations, which can be found at the beginning of the dictionary.
Comments