Identity through Urban Nomenclature: Eight Central European Cities

Urban nomenclature reflects societal values and historical shifts, with statehood, culture-creators, and religion being the most prominent sources of street names across Central European cities. A study analyzing eight historic city centers—Graz, Kraków, Olomouc, Prague, Maribor, Zagreb, Zadar, and Mostar—revealed that World War II had a more significant impact on toponyms than the fall of the Berlin Wall, though this varied by location. The research examined three time periods (1935, 1985, and 2009) to capture pre-WWII conditions, post-socialist era trends, and contemporary transitions. While statehood, culture-creators, and religion dominated toponyms overall, some cities emphasized local landmarks, crafts, or entrepreneurs more prominently.

Stiperski, Z., Lorber, L., Heršak, E., Ptaček, P., Górka, Z., Kołoś, A., Lončar, J., Faričić, J., Miličević, M., Vujaković, A., & Hruška, A. (2011). Identity through Urban Nomenclature: Eight Central European Cities. Geografisk Tidsskrift-Danish Journal of Geography, 111(2), 181–194. https://doi.org/10.1080/00167223.2011.10669532