Rososz and the toponymy of the Polish countryside

In England, it's straightforward. Type in the name of a given village into Wikipedia, and the chances are you'll find that with a slightly different name, it was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086.

Poland's history has been less kind to its wieś than England's history has been to its villages. The tides of war, occupation, uprisings, partitions, swept this way and that, taking away that certainty one has about the land, the names it had, and the stories of the people that lived there.

Locally, I was intrigued by a village to which you'll see lots of signposts for round my parts - Rososz. On the map you'll see an Adamów Rososki, a Barcice Rososkie, and a Rososzka, all within 3km of Rososz. A village that lends its name to long-established outlying settlements in its vicinity suggests importance. And if you do a bit of digging, and you'll find that Rososz was once the seat of the gmina (municipality or commune) of Rososz (from 1952 to 1954). So - a significant place, you'd think.

But try finding it! 

Below: old-style sign, predating the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Symbols, which led to the creation of the current style of Polish place-name signage. The familiar white-on-green signposts still use versions of a typeface first devised in 1975.

Yes, Rososz has a parish church. But it was built as recently as 1985. And yes, there's a cemetery. But the oldest graves there date back to the late '80s. So how did Rososz become the seat of a gmina? Furthermore, spending a few hours walking around, I could only see one building that would have been standing in those Stalinist times (below). Everything else is newer. What happened? 

Gateway to Rososz: a five-way junction, suggesting a former importance as a communication hub. Behind me, the road branches right for Rososzka and left for Zbyszków.

Place names give us a frame of geographical reference. Consistency and accuracy are essential when referring to a place to prevent confusion. Yet in the Polish countryside, borders blur, a part of one village melts into a part of another; one expands, another shrinks, the names on the map remain the same. Below: it looks like someone's not happy with Adamów Rososki.

Below: approaching Adamów Rososki on foot from the other side, I came across this sign, which I photographed from two angles. From the side, it can still clearly be read as 'Adamów - R'. Yet from head-on, it's just a white rectangle, the black lettering painted over. 

Machcin has spread out, spawning a Machcin I and a Machcin II, each containing a cluster of houses. On what basis does that sandy road turning right from the photo above become a part of Machcin II rather than a part of Adamów Rososki or Gaj Żelechowski? Is it the Will of the People or the whim of a desk clerk?

Sandy roads are almost impassable on a normal motorbike; it's like riding over sand dunes. So I walked to Rososz. Despite my best efforts to retrace my footsteps, I took a wrong turning on the way back and ended up walking 21km rather than the 16km I'd planned. My route took me through Zbyszków, Barcice Rososkie, Gaj Żelechowski and Machcin II. [I must say that Google Maps is useless in the field on a smartphone. It's literally showing me three kilometres away from where I know I am. Plus I can hardly see the screen on a sunny day.]

There used to be a bit of this going on in Warsaw - looking at relatively recent maps of Jeziorki, it was hard to tell what was the real administrative name of our part of town. But then along came the Miejski System Informacyjny, with unified nomenclature for all districts and sub-districts. Gone were Dawidy Poduchowne and Jeziorki Niemieckie/Jeziorki Polskie - everything become Jeziorki Południowe. I suspect it will take a bit longer to settle these issues in the countryside.

Below: straight on for Mińsk Maz. (pop. 41,000), turn right for Rososzka (pop. 137). And a station... with steam engines? Like having a biplane as the symbol for an airport.

Below: Rososz ain't happy either. Why should Rososzka be highlighted on this road sign, rather than Rososz? Road goes the same way after all... (same road junction, sign from the other direction as the one above).

Below: bonus photo - today's photo of bike + tank

This time last year:

Reflections of the 75th Anniversary

This time two years ago:
In praise of Polish mineral waters

This time three years ago:
Going back to my roots - Mogielnica

This time four years ago:
My father's walk around Jeziorki

This time six years ago:
What's the Polish for 'sustainability'?

This time eight years ago:
Last chance to see Amber Gold's billboards in Warsaw

This time nine years ago:
The Twilight Rambler