Pissa River

This river should not be confused with the Pisa River in Poland.

The Pissa is a river in the Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia near Chernyakhovsk.

The Pissa, Inster and Angerapp (Angrapa) are tributaries to the Pregel river. These names, of Old Prussian origin, were used by Germans of East Prussia until 1945.

According to an anecdote, the inhabitants of Gumbinnen were embarrassed by the name (sounding similar to the vulgar word Pisse, cognate to English "piss") and asked King Friedrich Wilhelm IV for a name change. He is said to have replied "Approved. Recommend Urinoco" - a toilet pun on Orinoco.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Gordon A. Craig, "Über die Deutschen"; Kossert, Andreas (2008). "Ostpreußen. Wiederentdeckung einer Kulturlandschaft". In Christian-Erdmann Schott. In Grenzen leben - Grenzen überwinden. Zur Kirchengeschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts in Ost-Mittel-Europa. Festschrift für Peter Maser zum 65. Geburtstag. Beiträge zu Theologie, Kirche und Gesellschaft im 20. Jahrhundert (in German). 16. Münster: LIT Verlag. p. 270. ISBN 3-8258-1265-0.

Coordinates: 54°27′08″N 22°42′03″E / 54.4521°N 22.7009°E / 54.4521; 22.7009


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