hidden europe 48

From Austerlitz to Waterloo

by hidden europe

Summary

So where is the Trafalgar which gave its name to the Battle of Trafalgar? And where is the Blenheim after which Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire is supposedly named? We look at a few European place names which feature larger-than-life in the historical record.

Our mental maps of Europe are shaped as much by history as by geography — and sometimes the two don’t quite agree. The Monmouth Rebellion had nothing to do with the people of Monmouth. The burghers of the town in the Wye Valley slept peacefully in their beds while Protestant troublemakers were stirring up rebellion in Lyme Regis.

One can so easily slip up on these important matters. The Battle of Austerlitz was not fought on the streets of Paris, despite the French capital claiming some association with Austerlitz in the name of one of its main railway termini. Yet you’ll not find another Austerlitz on the modern map of Europe. The place in Moravia where in 1805 Napoleon’s forces beat the combined armies of Russia and Austria is today called Slavkov u Brna.

It is not just in France that railway stations are named after battles. In London, Waterloo station takes its name from the Battle of Waterloo. Everyone knows that. But you need Liverpool connections to know that an area on the coast just north of the Merseyside city is called Waterloo. There, too, is a railway station called Waterloo — so raising the issue as to whether one could possibly buy a train ticket from Waterloo to Waterloo.

This is just an excerpt. The full text of this article is not yet available to members with online access to hidden europe. Of course you can read the full article in the print edition of hidden europe 48.
Related blog post

Out of the ruins: in search of the old Magdeburg

Paul Scraton explores the German city of Magdeburg armed with a map from 1910. Largely rebuilt after the Second World War, Magdeburg's streetscape has greatly changed. The old map is not ideal for navigating the city, but it offers rich insights into the history of Magdeburg.

Related articleFull text online

Of maps and men: Landranger sheet 57

With place names like Pendicles of Collymoon and Nether Easter Offerance, Ordnance Survey Landranger Sheet 57 fires the imagination. Maps tell stories, as do old men in pubs. Like the Tartan traveller we met in the Tyrol who tried to persuade us that Garibaldi had Scottish ancestry. From Baldy Garrow it is but a short step to Garibaldi.