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German Toponyms in Georgia 
Mariam Tsitsagi1, Valeri Kekenadze 1* 

Abstract 

Toponyms contain essential historical and geographical information. When quantitative and qualitative data are 

included in the study of toponyms, geodatabases are very convenient. Georgia is one of the noblest countries, 

where over a long history, various national minorities left their mark, which was also reflected in toponyms. Based 

on the importance of toponyms, we started creating geodatabases, where spatial and statistical data are collected. 

The article discusses new toponyms and their changes in relation to the latest migration processes in the history 

of Georgia. These toponyms are German settlements in Georgia. More than 200 years have passed since the 

creation of the first German settlement in the country. Within the research framework, a database was created 

where alphanumeric and population census data of different periods are included. Finally, the data is displayed on 

a digital online map, where all available data can be viewed. 

Keywords: Swabians, settlements, toponym, Georgia 

Introduction 

One of the key issues of Georgia's onomastic research is the toponymic study of settlements in 

different parts of Georgia, their identification, and systematisation. A toponym is generally assigned to 

a place based on some characteristic feature. It reflects the characteristics or historical processes 

characteristic of the geographical area. For example, the Turkish, Arabic, or Persian words present in 

the names of places in Georgia mostly point to the migration processes carried out in those places. A 

toponym is a kind of source, building material for a historian, especially in historical geography. Over 

time, the local name of one or another geographical area changes. At the same time, this or that 

settlement disappears or joins different geographical units. Various factors influence these processes. 

Therefore, their research and systematisation of the toponymy of local regions are of great importance. 

As we have already mentioned, toponymy is a kind of source in the study of the history of this or that 

country. The study of toponyms in the conditions of a specific area helps us to determine demographic 

processes, migrations, which ethnic groups alternate in a specific territorial area, what changes this 

brings to place names, etc. [1]. Based on the importance of toponyms, a project was developed that 

provides for the creation of a database of toponyms on the territory of Georgia. As a rule, the emergence 

of new toponyms is caused by historical events and related migration processes. Accordingly, the initial 

stage of the project also includes such a recent event and its consequences. This is the migration of 

Germans to Georgia and the spatial-temporal changes of toponyms related to them. The use of GIS in 

historical research is becoming increasingly popular, especially when it comes to quantitative and 

qualitative data [2, 3]. 

Georgian-German relations have a long history; they date back to the 14th century. There were 

frequent trips of German explorers to Georgia: in 1396–1417, Shitberger; then, at epochal intervals, 

Steder, Guldenstedt, Rheinegs, Klaprot, Eichwald, Wagner, Hackthausen, and others [4]. In 1918, 

Germany played a big role in the declaration of Georgia's independence, and one of its inspirers was 

Otto Hermann von Losov, a high-ranking German military official in the Ottoman German headquarters 

during the First World War. For a correct understanding of recent history, the study of German 

settlements is of great importance [5]. 

Methods and Materials 

The research aimed to determine the settlements of Germans living on the territory of Georgia at 

different times and through retrospect mapping [6]. The study of the settlements and architecture of the 

Germans was fully implemented in 2015–2017 [5], which was dedicated to celebrating the 200th 

anniversary. The primary data sources were scientific papers published on this topic, historical maps, 

and population census data conducted in different years. Based on the mentioned data, a database was 

created in ArcMap 10.8.  

 

 
1 TSU, Vakhushti Bagrationi Institute of Geography, Tbilisi, Georgia 

* Corresponding author: valeri.kekenadze@tsu.ge 

 



Tsitsagi and Kekenadze. Georgian Geographical Journal 2023, Vol.3 (1) 

Results and Discussion 

The first wave of Germans in Georgia was recorded in 1817. In 1817, 531 German families entered 

the territory of the Russian Empire, 31 families (118 people) of them settled in the territory of Georgia. 

The mentioned migrants, e.g., German separatists, entered the empire as refugees, which mostly meant 

religious orientation [7]. In his monograph, demographer Vazha Lortkipanidze names 181 people who 

came here from Württemberg in the flow of 1817 [8]. 

The above-mentioned flow of German colonists arrived in Tbilisi on September 21, 1817, and settled 

in a place pre-selected by the government—in the outskirts of Sartichala, which they called the newly 

founded colony Marienfeld [6]. The settlement was named in honour of Queen Maria Feodorovna. She 

was the mother of Emperor Alexander I and the sister of the King of Wüttemberg [9]. During the rule 

of Russian Emperor Alexander, the First (1801–1825), the desire to colonise the conquered territories 

was particularly aroused. All this was favourable not only from an economic point of view but also for 

political interests. The balance of different ethnic groups in the local population would not allow their 

national interests to develop. According to official documents, the leader of the Germans is considered 

to be General Yermolov at that time [9]. 

The process of migration that started in 1817 continued in 1818; during this period, 494 families of 

Germans gradually settled in Georgia (a total of 2023 people). They settled in Sartichala, specifically 

in Tbilisi, in the villages of Kukia and Didube. The second wave in Kvemo Kartli—in Asureti and 

Bolnisi. According to the censuses of 1865, the number of Germans reached 6114; in 1897, the number 

reached 9405; and in 1939, the number increased to 20.5 thousand. As we can see, the number of 

Germans in different parts of Georgia is increasing day by day. The last demographic census in Georgia 

was conducted in 2014, according to which about 650 Germans are registered as permanent residents 

in Georgia. The decrease in the number of Germans in Georgia was caused by major world political 

changes, which we will touch on in more detail below [8]. 

In some existing publications about the German colonists, the authors indicate a different date for 

their settlement in the territory of Georgia; For example, the German traveller August Haxthausen, who 

visited these colonies in 1843, names the year 1818 [10], as well as Grigol Zardalishvili [11]. In our 

opinion, in this case, it is the most reliable. It is a document traced by Siboshvili, and the arrival of 

German colonists to Georgia should have started in 1817. In 2017, the 200th anniversary of Georgian-

German relations was also celebrated in Georgia [12]. 

The main reason for the arrival of the first flow of German colonists was religious. August 

Hauxthausen writes: "The German colonies in Transcaucasia, as far as I have heard, are the new 

constructions of the Swabians, mostly Wüttembergians, who came here since 1818 because they felt 

deeply offended by religious beliefs and injustice in their homeland. Then, along with other innovations, 

a new book of hymns was introduced, which the peasantry considered non-dogmatic, watered down, 

and obscene. The people did not want to be corrupted by the strong, faithful faith expressed in the 

church hymns, so they decided to emigrate. The Russian government allocated them land in the Odessa 

area. But this did not bring benefits, and, at their own request, the majority went to Transcaucasia". As 

can be seen from other sources, the reason for the migration of Germans was the religious factor. In 

their religious activities, the Russian local authorities in the Caucasus did not interfere at all, and the 

newly established colonies had complete independence in this matter [10]. 

The colonists who settled in the territory of Tbilisi brought crops unknown to the local population, 

such as potatoes. Along with potatoes, other vegetables were also grown in abundance by new settlers, 

according to Haukshausen, they became the main suppliers of vegetables for the population of Tbilisi. 

Haukshausen can't hide his surprise that the people of Tbilisi don't want to plant and harvest their 

favourite potatoes themselves, they have been buying potatoes and other vegetables from Germans for 

many years [10].The German newcomers, although they brought many innovations to Tbilisi, both in 

agriculture and technology, but they actively assimilated the achievements of the local population, for 

example, they threshed wheat and all kinds of grains in general like Georgians with a threshing wheel. 

Also, the Germans actively assimilated the traditions of local viticulture and winemaking, they planted 

Georgian grape varieties and produced high-quality wine with special technologies, which was highly 

demanded and valued in the Georgian market. Saperavi and Rkatsiteli were especially abundantly 

cultivated. In the 50s, new colonists brought European grape varieties: Muscat, Madeira, Isabella, etc. 

It should also be noted that the Germans obtained a completely new grape variety "Kashmi Saperavi" 



Tsitsagi and Kekenadze. Georgian Geographical Journal 2023, Vol.3 (1) 

through grafting and selection of different varieties of grapes, which is still cultivated in Georgia and 

the wine made from it was very popular even before. The developed technologies of the Germans, their 

hard work greatly attracted the Georgian princes, there were frequent cases when the princes asked the 

Germans to settle in their estates, but the said offer was decisively refused by the Germans, they did not 

want to leave their compact settlements [13]. It is also worth noting that all the needs of the colonists 

were provided on the spot, starting from the mills and ending with the medical field. For example, let's 

take the division of labour in one of the German colonies: field worker - 258, soap maker - 1, shepherd 

- 2, potter - 3, weaver - 30, basket-make - 1, vintner - 42, saltpetre maker - 1, cooper - 10, needle maker 

- 2, Shoemaker - 26, knacker - 2, Butcher - 9, Beer brewer - 3, tailor - 26, bricklayer - 16, baker - 4, 

Blacksmith - 9, Locksmith - 2, glazier - 1, Hatter - 1, broadcloth-worker - 3 , carpenter - 8, builder - 12, 

saddler - 1, bookbinder - 3, land surveyor - 2, nail maker - 1, watchmaker - 1, teacher - 4, gunsmith - 2, 

wood-turner - 1, sock maker - 6, cart maker - 3, glover - 1, miller - 1 and others [5]. In many cases, the 

products of the above-mentioned handicraft branches were also sold. 

In the end, a total of 23 German settlements were established on the territory of Georgia (table 1). 

Table 1. German settlements in Georgia 

 German Settlement Year [14] Municipality (current 

day) 

Settlement name 

(current day) 

1 Marienfeld 1817 Gardabani Sartichala 

2 Neu-Tiflis 1818 Tbilisi2  

3 Alexandersdorf 1818 Tbilisi3  

4 Katharinenfeld 1818  Bolnisi 

5 Elisabethtal 1818 Tetritskaro Asureti 

6 Petersdorf 1819 Gardabani Sartichala 

7 Freudental4 1848 Gardabani Sartichala 

8 Alexandershilf 1857 Tsalka Trialeti 

9 Gnadengerg 1884  Sokhumi 

10 Neudorf 1884  Sokhumi 

11 Lindau 1884  Sokhumi 

12 Blumental 1892 Tsalka Kavta 

13 Traubenberg 1908 Marneuli Tamarisi 

14 Georgstal 1910 Mtskheta Dzveli Kanda 

15 Waldheim 1911 Dmanisi Ipnari 

16 Marnaul 1914 Marneuli Marneuli 

17 Wiesendorf Till 1914 Tetritskaro Marabda 

18 Steinfeld Till 1914 Tetritskaro Kotishi 

19 Grüntal Till 1914 Gardabani Ruisbolo 

20 Traubental Till 1914 Gardabani Ambartapa 

21 Hoffnungstal Till 1914 Gardabani Akhalsheni 

22 Rosental ? Mtskheta Vardisubani 

23 Neu-Botanika 1956 Gardabani Botanika 

 

At the beginning of the Second World War, the Germans living in Georgia were deported to 

Kazakhstan at the request of the Soviet government based on political considerations. After the end of 

the war, only a small part of them returned. Most of them went back to Germany. 

As for the toponyms, taking into account the historical background described above, it is clear that 

the political narrative prevails in the names of the settlements, for example, Marienfeld, Alexandersdorf, 

Katharinenfeld, Elisabethtal, and Petersdorf. Alexandershilf, in direct translation, means built with the 

help of Alexander. The listed toponyms are selected in honour of the representatives of the German and 

 
2 Streets nearby Aghmashenebeli ave. 
3 Current day Didube district (Agladze, Tskaltubo and Samtredia Streets [5]) 
4 Freudental was founded in 1842 near Abastumani, which was moved to Marienfeld and Petersdorf in 1848 [5] 



Tsitsagi and Kekenadze. Georgian Geographical Journal 2023, Vol.3 (1) 

Russian imperial houses. In light of the help that the new settlers received, their decision to name the 

new settlements is quite understandable. In addition to the political content, the migrants also chose 

names that reflect the landscape features of the place. For example, Traubenberg, which means grape 

mountain, or Traubental, which means grape field, this indicates that there would be many vineyards in 

these places. The peculiarities of the terrain are reflected in the following toponyms: Wiesendorf, which 

means meadow; Steinfeld, which means stony field; and Grüntal, which means green field. 

 
Figure 1. Example of the dashboard app 

In German toponyms, there is a name copied directly from the first place of residence of the migrants, 

for example, Lindau. The small town of the same name is located in the southwest of Bavaria. 

As can be seen from Table 1, today these settlements have completely different names, although the 

modern name of Rosental, Vardisubani, means District of Roses in direct translation from Georgian. 

ArcGIS dashboard5 was created (fig.1) based on the processing of existing materials (articles, maps, 

census data). The dashboard is easy and convenient to use, and the instructions for its use are provided 

on the dashboard. 

Conclusion 

Based on the analysis of written and cartographic sources, it was established that there were 23 

German settlements on the territory of Georgia. The oldest of them (Marienfeld) was founded in 1817, 

and the newest (Neu-Botanika) in 1956. As part of our research, a geodatabase was created in ArcMap 

that includes spatial and alphanumeric data about German settlements. Detailed information about 

German settlements can be obtained from the interactive map created on the basis of the mentioned 

database. Analysing the content of the map, we find that the short history of the German community in 

Georgia was not easy. Settlements were often renamed for political reasons and disappeared altogether 

in the 1940s. It is a happy fact that the population of Georgia respects this part of history, and the 

remains of former German settlements are today declared cultural heritage. 

Competing interests 

The authors declare that they have no competing interests. 

Authors’ contribution 

M.T. designed the study. V.K. designed the framework and analysed the data. All authors discussed 

the results and contributed the final manuscript. 

 
5 https://gis.mepa.gov.ge/portal/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/e25655f609394cf0b2d31217e0b53323 

https://gis.mepa.gov.ge/portal/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/e25655f609394cf0b2d31217e0b53323


Tsitsagi and Kekenadze. Georgian Geographical Journal 2023, Vol.3 (1) 

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Gvantsa Tsitsagi for her help with the translation from German.

Appendix A

1. ArcGIS Dashboards enables users to convey information by presenting location-based analytics

using intuitive and interactive data visualizations on a single screen.

 

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