Why Sokolov was called Falknov

What were the original names of our villages in the West Bohemian Region? How and when were they renamed? Why was Sokolov called Falknov ?

7/1948 Coll. Decree on changes in the official names of towns, settlements, villages and parts of settlements, authorized in 1947
Effective from: 31.01.1948 Amount: 4/1948 Coll.
Repealed on: still in force Issued on: 31.01.1948
Type: decree
Authors of the regulation: Ministry of the Interior
Derogation: regulation published in the Collection of Laws

7/1948
Decree of the Minister of the Interior
of 16 January 1948
on changes in the official names of towns and villages, settlements and parts of settlements,
authorized in 1947.

In the administrative district of Falknov nad Ohri:

for the village of Birndorf the name Hrušková, for the settlement of Perglas (local village Dasnice) the name Chlumek, for the village of Ebmeth the name Rovná, for the village of Gossengrün the name Krajková, for the village Grasset the name Jehličná, for the village Dolní Nový Grün the name Dolní Nivy, for the village Horní Nový Grün the name Horní Nivy, for the village Habersbirk the namename Habartov, for the municipality Haselbach the name Lísková, for the settlement Reissengrün (local municipality Chlum Svaté Marí) the name Rusov, for the municipality Kageravu the name Kosová, for the municipality Kirchenbirk the namename Kostelní Bříza, for the village Kohling the name Milíře, for the village Königswerth the name Královské Poříčí, for the village Krainhof (local municipality Libava) the namename Dvorečky, for the settlement Tiefengrün (local municipality Krásná Lípa) the name Teamov, for the municipality Ves Litrbachy the name Čistá, for the municipality Littengrün the name Lítov, for the village Grün (local municipality Lobzy) the name Novina, for the village Schwand (local municipality Lobzy) the name Paseka, for the village Loch the name Dolina, for the village Löwenhof (local municipality village Lomnice) the name Lvov, for the village Mülln the name Štědrá, for the village and settlement Pichelberg the name Boučí, for the village Plumberg the name Květná, for the village Schönbrunn the name Studánka, for the municipality and settlement of Steinhof the name Kamenný Dvůr, for the settlement of Ebersfeld (local municipality of Steinhof) the name Podlesí, for the settlement of Golddorf (local municipality of Steinhof) the name Zlatá. for the village and hamlet of Werth the name Luh nad Svatavou, for the hamlet of Hartenberg (local municipality of Werth) the name Hřebeny.

In the administrative district of Cheb:

for the village of Schönbach the name Luby.

In the administrative district of Jáchymov:

for the village of Arletzgrün the name Arnoldov, for the village and settlement of Dolní Brand the name Dolní Žďár, for the village of Horní Brand the name Horní Žďár, for the village Holzbach the name Plavno, for the settlement Kaff (local village Lípa) the name Plešivec, for the village Český Wiesenthal the name Loučná.

In the administrative district of Kraslice:

for the village of Schwaderbach the name Bublava.

In the administrative district of Mariánské Lázně:

for the municipality Amonsgrün the name Úbočí, for the municipality Grafengrün the name Háj, for the local part of the settlement Města Kynžvartu (local municipality LáKynžvart), called Haselhof, the name Lískovec, for the municipality of Lohhäuser the name Slatina, for the municipality and settlement of Maiersgrün the name Vysoká, for the municipality of Markartov the name Podlesí, for the part of the municipality of Tři Sekery u Tachova called Holštejn the name Kamenec, for the municipality of Schönficht the name Smrkovec, for the municipality of Schönthal the name Krásné, for the municipality of Šance the name Valy, for the municipality of Tachovský Šmelctál the name Tachovská Huť, for the municipality of Tannaweg the name Jedlová, for the municipality of Sangerberg the name Prameny.

In the administrative district of Loket:

for the municipality Schönfeld the name Krásno.

In the administrative district of Nejdek:

for the village and hamlet Breitenbach the name Potůčky, for the village Hengstererben the name Hřebečná, for the village and hamlet Salmthal the name Pstruží, for the village Hermannsgrün náname Heřmanov, for the village Hirschenstand the name Jelení, for the village Kammersgrün the name Lužec, for the village and settlement Kohling the name Milíře, for the village Mühlberg the name Lesík, for the village Neuhaus the name Chaloupky, for the village Sauersack the name Rolava, for the village Scheft the name Hradecká, for the village Schindlwald the name Šindelová, for the village Schwarzenbach the namefor the municipality Thierbach the name Suchá, for the municipality Trinksaifen the name Rudné, for the municipality Ullersloh the name Oldřichov, for the municipality Vegeldorf the name Ptačí,

In the administrative district of Teplá:

for the municipality Gängerhof the name Chodov, for the municipality Grün the name Louka, for the municipality Müllersgrün the name Milešov, for the municipality Schönthal the name Krásné Údolí, for the municipality Schönwehr the name Krásná, for the municipality Wasserhäuseln the name Vodná. for the village Český Beranov the name Beranov, for the village Německý Beranov the name Beranovka, for the village Německé Domaslavičky the name Domaslavičky.

In the administrative district of Karlovy Vary:

for the village Pirkenhammer the name Březová.

Sokolov, until 1948 Falknov nad Ohří, in German Falkenau an der Eger.

The renaming to Sokolov was solemnly carried out on 31.3.1948. General Ludvík Svoboda personally attended the renaming ceremony.

At the crossroads in front of the town hall there is a monument to the fighter from Ukrainian Sokolov. A standing bronze statue of a soldier in winter gear with a machine gun in his hand is placed on a stone pedestal. It was unveiled on 11 November 1951 and is the work of sculptor Vendelin Zdrubecky. It was erected to commemorate the first combat performance of the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Battalion in the Battle of Sokolov on 8 March 1943 in the then USSR. The pedestal symbolically contains a breastplate from the battlefield.

Nothing against the bravery of our soldiers, I bow before their heroism, but the Ukrainian town of Sokolovo has nothing in common with the West Bohemian town of Sokolov and was grafted here in a politically senseless way. The name of the local town, Sokolov, respects the meaning of the original German name Falkenau - Falcon's meadow, meadow. The historic fountain with a falconer in the Old Town Square also refers to them. Folk tradition attributes the founding of the town to the mythical knight Sebastian (Wastl in Egerlandic), who is said to have bred hunting falcons here. This legend is also recalled by the town's ancient coat of arms.

Compiled from archival materials by L.F.Nykl

You can search for artefacts from this period using our metal detectors.