Welcome
In Galicia, the records for smaller towns and villages were
maintained by Jewish Adminstrative Districts (AD). This site
will focus on the towns in the Jewish AD of Kolomyya (not to
be confused with the larger Adminstrative District of
Kolomyya) This map shows most of the towns listed in Gesher
Galicia's Town
locator in the Kolomyya (Kolomea) Jewish Center list.
The towns shown in the map below are: Ceniawa,
Chlebyczyn Lesny, Czeremchow, Debeslawce, Kamionka Mala,
Kolomea, Kornicz, Korolowka, Korszow, Kujdance, Liski,
Matyjowce, Michalkow, Oskrzesince, Pererow, Piadyki,
Podhajczyki, Rakowczyk, Siemakowce, Slobodka Lesna, Sopow,
Szeparowce, Tlumaczyk, Zamulince, Zukocin.
There were several that I was not able to find. These
are: Diatkowce, Dobrowodka, Ispas, Iwanowce, Kamionka
Wielka, Troscianka, Werbiaz Nizny, Werbiaz Wyzny, Zalucze nad
Prutem. These may have been absorbed by other towns or had
name changes which I couldn't trace.
Origin of the Town Name
Several interesting versions of the origin of the town name, Kolomea, have been obtained. The versions are presented here in no particular order.- According to tradition, there was in Kolomea in ancient times a Roman settlement, Colonia; hence, the name Kolomea.
- Another tradition claims that the town Kolomea was named after the Hungerian King, Koloman, who ruled at the beginning of the 13th century.
- The name Kolomea is believed to be derived from Polish mountain inhabitants whose name for the River Prut was Myja and the Polish word kolo meaning near; thus Kolomyja (Polish spelling of the town) meant a town near the river Myje.
- Another play of the Polish meanings of kolo and myje is said to have produced the name Kolomyja. Kolo in Polish can also mean wheel and myje means wash. The combining of these two words derived from the fact that wagons were run through the nearby river to wash the mud off the wheels.
- The origin of the town name was a corruption of the Latin word columba meaning dove or pigeon. There were thousands of wood pigeons which frequented the forests of the region. These pigeons were also a staple of the local diet during medieval times.