Guten [name_m]Tag[/name_m].
It is the 33rd anniversary of the [name_m]German[/name_m] Democratic Republic (“East Germany”) joining the Federal Republic of [name_u]Germany[/name_u] (“West Germany”), resulting in the [name_u]Germany[/name_u] we know today. [name_m]Hence[/name_m] it is also a national holiday and I’m bored. So in memory of the country that no longer exists, enjoy this list of 15 East-German town names and my absolutely subjective opinions on them.
[name_u]Berlin[/name_u] - 8/10 - works, was used 88 times last year. But I’m never sure where to put the emphasis. Leipzig - 4/10 - sounds a bit awkward. The nickname [name_u]Ziggy[/name_u] redeems it. [name_m]Dresden[/name_m] - 9/10 - works, was used 35 times last year. [name_u]Halle[/name_u] - 9/10 - works, was used 414 times last year. But there are too many ways to spell it and I’m afraid “like the town” won’t help. Chemnitz - 3/10 - pronunciation issues, awkward sound. Bonus points though if you nickname them [name_m]Karl[/name_m] without explaining it Magdeburg - 2/10 - just use [name_f]Magda[/name_f]. Rostock - 10/10 - only downside: no kid might be cool enough for it Erfurt - 0/10 - local patriotism prohibits me from awarding this with a positive value Potsdam - 1/10 - nicknamed Potty or Damn? Nooo this one doesn’t work [name_f]Gera[/name_f] - 10/10 - probably is an established name somewhere. To my surprise it wasn’t used last year, but [name_m]Geralt[/name_m] and [name_f]Geraldine[/name_f] were, so why not? Schwerin - 6/10 - not great, but you can get away with it. Spell it Shvereen for a more American feeling (or S’bheirĂn to try and pass it off as traditional Irish) Cottbus - 4/10 - just claim it’s Latin Zwickau - 2/10 - I don’t see it. [name_f]Jena[/name_f] - 9/10 - of course it works. Used 25 times last year. Downside: easily mistakable for [name_f]Jenna[/name_f], [name_f]Jen[/name_f], [name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_f]Jana[/name_f] … Dessau - 3/10 - not really. Maybe with nickname Dezz.
Honorary mentions go to Pirna (I don’t hate it?), Wolfen (Wolf turned name?), Greifswald and Weißwasser (adventurous nature middles anyone?)
I think in [name_u]Germany[/name_u] you could go best with [name_f]Jena[/name_f], [name_f]Gera[/name_f] and Pirna.
Outside of [name_u]Germany[/name_u] I could see [name_u]Berlin[/name_u], [name_m]Dresden[/name_m], [name_u]Halle[/name_u] (like it a lot in English), Rostock and Wolfen.
And Greifswald and WeiĂźwasser really sound a little like fantasy characters.
Mir ist auch langweilig, dabei hab ich eigentlich noch soo viel Arbeit hier rumliegen. Motivation ist heute = 0.
I mainly know [name_m]Dresden[/name_m] because of the nazi camp that was there so I can’t quite get on board with it, read too many awful stories attached to that name
[name_u]Berlin[/name_u] feels a bit weird but why not, it has a cool vibe
[name_u]Halle[/name_u] works as a name, [name_f]Gera[/name_f] and [name_f]Jena[/name_f] sound perfectly usable too
Dresden’s my fave! But this is on sound only - not its history, which would deter most from using it…
Summary
Sentimental reason for me too - my daughter called her toy cat [name_m]Dresden[/name_m] when she was 2. No idea how she picked up/ created the name but I thought it rocked (with “Frebecca”, the senior lady toy duck).
