Scetches from Vrancea County, drawn in 1856

[Mikula]

Scetches from Vrancea County, drawn in 1856

Church at Focșani

Pub-dugout at Chiojdeni

Mill at Dedulești

[Mikula]

The sketches was drawn by a Czech nobler
Emanuel Salomon Friedberg-Mírohorský, who served as an officer at Austrian Army.


In 1896 he published a book (written in Czech) about his work as land-surveyor at Walachia (at area of nowadays Vrancea County) in 1856.
His story and description of the area is interesting for me.
He was also a skilly painter and the book is illustrated by sketches of the people and area, drawn by him.
The author was a Czech patriot, despite being a nobler of German ancestry, and officer of Austro-Hungarian army (later he received rank of General).
In that times was quiet known painter.
During his staying in your country he learned Romanian.
He had talent for languages, he was fluent in 10 ones:
Czech, German, English, French, Italian, Russian, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Serbo-Croatian

I am just comparing the town-names from the book with todays map.
Some toponyms are tricky for me because of Czech spelling used by him.
Author wrote that he stayed in Wallachia in the times when Cyrillic script was
leaving for Latin one. But as a surveyer he was ordered by his military authorities, to write the toponyms in Czech spelling
(perhaps, because it was easier for transcription from Cyrillic script).
He wrote that it was ridiculous for him, for the fact that in Austro-Hungarian Empire where all toponyms in Czech lands (Bohemia and Moravia)
written oficially in German spelling, regardless ones were situated in Czech speaking or German speaking areas.
And now he had to use Czech spelling in foreign country where is not any one Czech resident.

I would like to thank to Grishnack for helping me to identify the most correct town-names:

Andriešu dě Sus = Andreiașu de Sus (Vrancea County)
Babéni = Băbeni (Buzău County)
Brošténi = Broșteni (Vrancea County)
Buda = Buda (Vrancea County)
Dalhaul = Dălhăuţi (Vrancea County)
Deduléšti = Dedulești (Buzău County)
Dumitréšti = Dumitrești (Vrancea County)
Faraonele = Faraoanele (Vrancea County)
Fokšany = Focșani (Vrancea County)
Golešti = Goleşti (Vrancea County)
Kiridžele = Chirițele ? can you help me to locate the place, please?
Kioždéni = Chiojdeni (Vrancea County)
Modréni = Modreni (Buzău County)
Obrežica = Obrejița (Vrancea County)
Odobéšti = Odobești (Vrancea County)
Olaréni = Olăreni (Vrancea County)
Olteni = Olteni (Vrancea County)
Pintečéšti = Pintecești ? can you help me to locate the place, please?
Rymna = Râul Râmna (Vrancea County)?
Skoruš = Scoruș ? can you help me to locate the place, please?
Slobozin = Slobozin ? can you help me to locate the place, please?
Slobozia Koroténi = Slobozia Bradului Slobozia Bradului (Vrancea County)?
Tigoja = Tigoja ? can you help me to locate the place, please?
Tirgu Kukului = Dealu Cucului (Vrancea County)?
Tiriru = Tiriru? can you help me to locate the place, please?
Valja Skjopuluj = Valea Șchiopului (Buzău County)
Virtiškoi = Vârteşcoiu (Vrancea County)
Vulkaňasa = Vulcăneasa Vulcăneasa (Vrancea County)
Žideni = Zideni ? can you help me to locate the place, please?


Anyway, I will be curious to see the map section made by him!

[Grishnack]

It is possible that many of those places don't exist anymore or their name has changed during history.

[Mikula]

It is possible that many of those places don't exist anymore or their name has changed during history.

It will be great to compare the 1856 map with the recent ones!