Germanization of Toponyms under the German Occupation of Upper Carniola between 1941 and 1945

Abstract

The article presents the process of Germanizing Slovenian toponyms or place names in Upper Carniola under the German occupation between 1941 and 1945. In undertaking this task, the occupation authorities largely relied on German place names from the time of Austria–Hungary and in some areas by introducing entirely new German designations. This usually occurred in cases where the former German designation was derived from the Slovenian original and too difficult to pronounce for German speakers, or it bore an excessively Catholic connotation. In major Upper Carniolan towns, where the system of street addresses had already been in place, the practice of (re)naming streets and squares reflected not only the tendency to Germanize but also to reinforce the political hegemony of the German National Socialist Party (NSDAP) by introducing designations after famous German historical and cultural figures as well the leaders of the German National Socialist movement.