[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] What does "Rum" or "Rumunki" mean?

[Jerry Frank]

In my previous posting I jumped in too quickly regarding this term and I was WRONG.  Upon further investigation, I found this explanation from Polish historian Fred Hoffman.  It was posted previously on our mailing list by Jan Textor.

"I was pretty sure I remembered the definition, but just to check, I looked in the 15-volume _Slownik geograficzny Krolestwa Polskiego_ [Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland]. It defines RUMUNEK, plural form RUMUNKI, as coming from German _räumen_, "to clear, empty" -- although I'd say it's more accurate to characterize it as a Polonized form of a German noun derived from that verb, which in modern German takes the form _Räumung_, "clearing." Either way, it refers to a settlement founded on woodlands that have been cleared of trees. The _Slownik_ says this name undoubtedly came into use from German colonists or by Polish peasants under German influence in Great Poland (western Poland, generally in the area around Poznan). It says we see this name mainly in that area, and also in
some western counties of the Kingdom of Poland (the Russian partition), namely, Gostynin, Lipno, and Rypin counties.

So the name means "clearing" or "clearings," and is one of many different terms used for settlements established in cleared woodlands."


Jerry





----- Original Message -----
From: "Otto" <otto at schienke.com>
To: "SGGEE" <ger-poland-volhynia at sggee.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 21, 2013 9:57:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] What does "Rum" or "Rumunki" mean?


On Dec 21, 2013, at 5:53 PM, Krampetz at aol.com wrote:

> 
> While examining the detailed map of Lipno and area, at mapywig.org,  I  find
> many village names preceded with "Rum" or "Rumunki".   
> Google translates Rumunki as "Romanians".    
> I did find that this question was asked on this list in 2005 and 'guessed'  
> at,  
> but no definitive answer.
> 
> Bob Krampetz
>    Researching Krampic & Krampitz surnams (mainly  around Lipno).    
> _______________________________________________
> Ger-Poland-Volhynia site list
> Ger-Poland-Volhynia at sggee.org
> https://www.sggee.org/mailman/listinfo/ger-poland-volhynia

Be mindful that the designation Rumunki or Romanian is one of nationality.  
It does not qualify ethnicity. The Romanians settling were undoubtedly of German ethnicity.
A little cut & paste from Wiki:
The settlement of Romania began during the Ostsiedlung
	• Transylvanian Saxons - the largest and oldest, often simply equated with the Germans of Romania
	• Satu Mare Swabians and most Banat Swabians, groups of Danube Swabians in Romania
	• Transylvanian Landler Protestants
	• Zipser Germans in Maramureş (Borşa, Vişeu)
	• Regat Germans, including the Dobrujan Germans
	• Bukovina Germans (Târgu Neamț, Gura Humorului and Câmpulung Moldovenesc)
	• Bessarabia Germans (for the period 1918–1940)
See Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania for their official representation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germans_of_Romania

Romania was ruled by the Hohenzollern dynasty for awhile as was East Frisia, East Prussia, West Prussia, South Prussia and New East Prussia-etc. (known as Prussians since 1701 )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transylvanian_Saxons
Here again we find the presence of the Teutonic Order of Knights.
(with enticements germans were being moved around)

. . .   Otto
         " The Zen moment..." wk. of January 01, 2013-
                _____________________________________
                  "Answers out there . . .  Seeking us."

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