Altwasser

Altwasser is the German exonym historically used for a locality in the Silesia region, now part of southwestern Poland. The name appears in German-language maps and documents dating from the 18th to the 20th century, reflecting the area’s long association with German-speaking administration. The literal meaning of the name is “old water,” a toponymic pattern common for settlements located near rivers, springs or mining waterways.

Historical context and changes in sovereignty: During the era of Prussia and later the German Empire, Altwasser referred to one or more settlements within Silesia. After World War II, borders in this region were redrawn under the Potsdam Agreement, and the area became part of Poland. The German population was largely expelled, and Polish citizens—many displaced from areas east of Poland’s postwar boundaries—settled in the region. In official Polish usage, the German exonym gradually fell out of everyday administration, though it remains visible in historical references and older maps.

Geography and administrative status today: In modern Polish administration, places formerly known as Altwasser are typically smaller localities or neighborhoods within larger municipalities in the southwestern part of the country. Because the name has been applied to more than one place in historically German-speaking Silesia, identifying a specific location requires contextual clarification of the nearby town or gmina.

See also: Altwasser (disambiguation).