Hi I would like to get some reactions from the forum on how you handle or perceive German names for areas in Western Poland. I am kind of excited that I have found the place my mother used to visit in Scczaniec near Świebodzin as a teen and I can add some history as well as the German name the building was known under. But before anything like that I just want to make sure that this is not seen as some sort of revisionist act…no such intentions AT ALL. Thank you and respectfully, Alexandra
Hi, this always has been a contentious issue. Some of the names are well-known, some are more historical.
On top of that, many areas were ethnically German thoughout history and fell within borders of Poland after WW2, others had their German name given during occupation/partitions.
Does the Germany have some sort of toponymy commision that assigns official German names to places abroad Germany and publishes a gazetteer? In Poland so does KSNG.
I found this: https://www.stagn.de/DE/1_Der_StAGN/Aufgaben/aufgaben_node.html;jsessionid=9427E7EA0B28ABD5349D36DD25003AC0.live21
For some reason they didn’t post 2020 version, but there’s one in PDF from 2002 under Publications.
In the context of your question they name it “selected” exonyms, but I don’t know how was the selection done or is it just whatever they agreed on and are aware of. There are 65 results for “Polen” which are mostly towns and cities, with some natural toponyms as well.
Adding name:de that is actually used and known under that name for cities and towns is 100% fine.
Adding short lived names of various objects assigned during German occupation and no longer used by anyone (Adolf Hitler Straße and so on) is better avoided as historic data, out of scope of OSM.
In general any name currently and actually used is welcomed in OSM - and adding it helps and is welcomed! Historical data has its place in https://www.openhistoricalmap.org/
Historical names like most street names before 1945 and small town, village names should go to old_name:de because it only exists and is used in historical context. Example: if you will be asking for way to Stettin everyone will know where it is, but if you ask about Deutsch Crone or Ratzebuhr no one will show you the way because that names are not widely known. Its even worse with street names.
Czyli nazwy dawnych niemieckich miejscowości mają być w [old_name:de]? Bo znowu ktoś zaczyna dodawać [name:de]:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/408469636/history
https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/martynasowa1999/history
old_name:de