Litzmannstadt

German

Etymology

Named after Karl Litzmann (1850-1936), a Prussian general and WWI hero, who joined the NSDAP in 1929. The name was chosen because in November 1914 Litzmann had conducted an important counteroffensive against the attacking Russian army near Brzeziny, a few kilometres to the east of Lodz. His name's phonetic similarity to that of the city might also have played a role.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈlɪt͡smanˌʃtat/

Proper noun

Litzmannstadt n (proper noun, genitive Litzmannstadts or (optionally with an article) Litzmannstadt)

(Nazism) Official name of German-occupied Lodz from 1940 to 1945.