What's in a Prague street name

Čerčanská was named in 1947.

Čerčany is a village in Central Bohemia, 8 km south of Benešov and, in good traffic, only about half an hour’s drive south-east of Prague. It lies on the Sázava river (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/02/18/prague-2-day-31-sazavska/).

The earliest mention of Čerčany – then called Černčany – that we know of dates from 1356. It probably derived from the word ‘černý’ (black), due to black soil in the surrounding area.

Nowadays, Čerčany has about 3,100 inhabitants. It experienced considerable growth in the 19th century, mainly due its location at the railway junction of three lines (Prague – Benešov, Prague – České Budějovice, Prague – Čerčany/Dobříš).

On the freezing cold night of 25 January 1945, a train passed through Čerčany. It carried over 2,000 Jewish men and women, who had been in Auschwitz and were now being transported to Mauthausen.

Five prisoners tried to escape at Čerčany station; SS guards shot all five of them. Their names are not known.

A plaque at the station, added in 2019, honours them: https://zachovanipameti.udu.cas.cz/en/monument/205-memorial-plaque-to-the-victims-of-a-death-transport-cercany.

F*ck anyone who is OK with anyone doing these things to others solely because of their race, religion, gender or orientation.