Names for hypothetical German colonies in the Americas circa 1500-1700

So I'm having trouble coming up with what German kingdoms or states would have called their colonies at the large if they were to have had any for example aside from Neu Deutschland (which is the generic colonial New France, New England, New Spain etc.) however what other place names can you think of that would be good for large areas not city names but provincial names ?
 
Holy Western Roman Empire - if it is a colony of the HRE

Germerica? Word play merging Germany and America.

Bismarckburg, or Wilhemburg, basically any name with the word burg afterwards?
 
"Burg" is a city name, which the OP mentioned is not requested. Rather, something like "-mark" or "-land" or some other suffix slapped onto a local place-name would do the trick I'd think. For example, a German *Virginia might be called something like "Tschesepeikbucht", or Chesapeake Bight in English. California might be "Greifenland" since the etymology of California included references to Queen Calafia's kingdom bearing griffins. Food for thought.
 
So I'm having trouble coming up with what German kingdoms or states would have called their colonies at the large if they were to have had any for example aside from Neu Deutschland (which is the generic colonial New France, New England, New Spain etc.) however what other place names can you think of that would be good for large areas not city names but provincial names ?

The Fuggers ( famous 15th century German merchants) possessed Venezuela (Klein Venedig). Maybe the maintain their fiefdom and expand it ?
 
Holy Western Roman Empire - if it is a colony of the HRE

Germerica? Word play merging Germany and America.

Bismarckburg, or Wilhemburg, basically any name with the word burg afterwards?

...um

Holy Western Roman Empire is ugly and the HRE was a federation, it wouldn't have any colonies - the individual states (e.g. Hanover, Brandenburg etc) would be the ones to have colonies, and Germans would settle there on those state's behalf.

Germerica sounds so cheesy and unrealistic.

Bismarck and Wilhelm both lived more than a hundred years after the OP's requested dates.
 

Driftless

Donor
How about something real plain:

westlichen Ländern = western lands
über das Meer = over-the-sea
Wo in der Hölle ist das? = Where in the hell is that?
Fernenland = Faraway land
Neu Brandenburg = New Brandenburg for the foundation markgraviate
Neu Eden = New Eden for those fleeing the Thirty Years War
 
Last edited:

Driftless

Donor
18 PM
Driftless
How about something real plain:

Wo in der Hölle ist das? = Where in the hell is that?

Isn't that what they called Tinian during the short time they controlled most of the Marianas?

For the average 1899 German, Tinian had to either be as far removed from the Fatherland as back side of the Moon, or as exotic; depending on your outloook;)
 
Last edited:

Redhand

Banned
If anyone from Germany is likely to do this in the time period it would be the Hanseatic States so Neu Hamburg or Neu Lubeck is possible. Or, alternatively, the Teutonic Knights get involved, seeing a crusade possibility as their Baltic holdings shrink. Maybe unrealistic, but it opens up significant possibilities.
 
If anyone from Germany is likely to do this in the time period it would be the Hanseatic States so Neu Hamburg or Neu Lubeck is possible. Or, alternatively, the Teutonic Knights get involved, seeing a crusade possibility as their Baltic holdings shrink. Maybe unrealistic, but it opens up significant possibilities.

Would we see a feud between Conquistadores and Teutonic Knights in this scenario ? : D
 
Last edited:
One option is of course Neu-(some duchy, or other area): Neusachsen (New Saxony), Neuholstein, Neupommern, Neubraunschweig (New Brunswick)...

Another option would be (Name of king or queen)-land: Willhelmsland, Friedrichsland, .... Some of those may sound a bit weird.

Or you could use something with Mark at the end, like Westmark.

Or you could name the area after the most important city. Naming cities should be easier, basically use -burg, -stadt, -roda/-rode, (there are 2 or 3 more common endings) at the end, and a name at the beginning, or simply Neu- (old city) and let a native speaker look at it first.
 
Top