Abstract
It is not uncommon for place names to become symbols of national identity. Once in that position, such names often play a significant symbolic role in national and local politics. It is less common, however, for actual place name usage to significantly contradict declared place name preferences such that for official purposes people prefer a name variant that they do not use themselves. This article describes an instance of just such cognitive dissonance in a trilingual region in the Czech-Polish borderlands. As will be shown, arguments over which variant to use in this region have been marked by ongoing debates about multilingualism in the linguistic landscape. The parallel usage of the names Olše/Olza/Łolza for the local river shows how important place names can be in articulating national belonging in spite of actual place name usage. The analysis is based on the results of a survey conducted on a large population sample. The questionnaire results are supplemented by interviews and secondary literature.
Highlights
We present the results of a study undertaken between 2016 and 2018 in the Tesın region in northeastern Czechia
We investigated the reasons for this resistance and the role played by the river names in regional and national identity politics
When we break down those numbers by nationality, we get a similar picture there is a significantly higher preference for Olza among Poles
Summary
We present the results of a study undertaken between 2016 and 2018 in the Tesın region in northeastern Czechia. Our research focused on observed differences in name preference and usage in relation to the local river called Olse, Olza or Łolza.. While the official name is Olse, few people (regardless of their ethnicity) use it, preferring Olza and Łolza. All attempts at renaming the river to Olza have failed due to strong resistance from the local people. We investigated the reasons for this resistance and the role played by the river names in regional and national identity politics. The analysis is primarily based on a questionnaire of a representative population sample. This survey was supplemented by one-on-one interviews and archival and secondary sources
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