The Name
(from: ”Olza - od pramene po ujście”, and Jednak Olza nie Olsza ani Oląe, published by: Region Silesia s.r.o. 2000) translated by D. French
The Olza and the old argument about the name of the river was not a Polish-Czech matter, as there was support on both sides of the border for Olza and Olsza (Oląe). There had been discussions and arguments about what the river should be called in Polish and Czech newspapers since the 19th century. The name Olza was used until midway through the 19th century in Latin, Polish and Czech documents. Even in German texts the name Olsa was used (pronounced Olza), rather than Olscha.
The first historical mention dates from 1290, the first document from 1611, when the form Oldza was used, which has nothing in common with Olsza.
In fact the name Olsza figures in the Chronicles of Jan Długosz, the Polish historian, but his spelling and references to place-names is inconsistent. Rigrův slovnik naučný gives the name Oląa and even Oląava – the name Olza seemed not to be Czech enough to the authors. Polish nationalist activists in the region considered Olza not to be Polish enough. S. Orgelbrand’s Encyklopedia Powszechna, published in Warsaw in 1898 notes both Olsza and Olza, while Konstanty Damrot in his work Die älteren Ortsname Schlesiens (Beuthen/Bytom 1896) maintained that it ought to be Olsza from olcha (alder, the tree). Vincenc Prasek in the newspaper Noviny těąinské of 22 September 1900 stated that the name Olza derives neither from Polish nor Czech, and that its origin is early Slav like, for example, Volga. An argument sprung up in 1900 on the pages of Gwiazdka Cieszyńska as to whether the name of the river should be spelt Olza or Olsza, after K. Wieluch under his pseudonym of Świbiczan had argued in the Miesięcznik Pedagogiczny for Olza. Father Antoni Macoszek wrote Olza in his Przewodnik po Śląsku of 1901, maintaining that Paweł Stalmach and Jan Kubisz had used that name. However, in Polish texts from 1901-07 Olsza was more often used. Ernest Farnik, the editor of Zaranie Śląskie, which came out from 1907 began a new argument in the magazine, presenting new arguments of supporters of both forms, seeking the opinions of distinguished Polish linguists Kazimierz Nitsch and Jan Rozwadowski, who unequivocally favoured Olza, claiming that it originated in early Slav Oliga – Olidza – Oldza – Olza (Rozwadowski went even further back to indo-European languages, from which European languages originate). There are both historical and etymological proofs.
In fact Olza does have an ancient indo-European name which simply means damp, liquid, water etc. The correct Polish form, according to Polish linguists ought to be Oldza, but since Olza was decided on long ago it ought to remain so. The Cieszyn historian, Franciszek Popiołek, supported the arguments of the Polish linguists, referring to historical sources; in 1450 the Prince of Cieszyn confirmed the purchase of Boguszowice and gave the buyer, Mikołaj of Trzenkowice (Trzanowice) permission to fish in the River Olza – fluvium Olzam etc. After the Second World War Emerich Nemec referred to other, even earlier historical sources, where the form Olza is mentioned. In 1290 the Cieszyn Prince, Mieszko, granting lands near Cieszyn to the Cieszyn burgher Bogusz states, “... dictorum mansorum super fluvium Olzam li-bere possideat...”
Czechs, such as; Vincenc Prasek, Frantiąek Sláma, Alois Adamus, and even Petr Bezruč used the form Olza, while in the Ottův slovník (1905), Masarykův slovník (1931) the river was referred to as; Oląa, or Oląe. Local Czechs were in favour of Olza, and those from Prague of Oląe. Czechoslovakian military maps from between the wars used the name; Olza.
After the Second World War the name of the river has existed in two forms. For example Vaclav Davídek writes Oląe in his; Osídleni Těąínska Valachy” (1940) and “O názvech a jménech Těąínska” (1950), while Czech linguists Adolf Kellner and Bedřich Téma – Olza. Railway stations with the names; Bystřice nad Olzou and Louky nad Olzou existed until 1961, however bureaucrats from the Ministry of Transport and Internal Affairs in collaboration with the Central National Administration of Surveying and Cartography on 1 October 1961 in the face of scientific evidence moved Bystřice and Louky to the Oląe. Dan Gawrecki, the Opavian historian writes interestingly and to the point about these issues in the quarterly journal Těąínsko issue no. 2, 1993 (pp. 13 - 15).