ABOUT

The village of German was forcibly made to change its name by the Greek government to Agios Germanos. It is a part of the Lerin region about 25 kilometres northwest of the town. It is on the ridge of the mountain Bela Voda in Prespa at 21 degrees 09 minutes longitude and 40 degrees 50 minutes latitude and 1,050 metres above sea level. Its area is about 58 square kilometres.

The village borders with the following settled places: to the west the village Robi, to the southwest Medovo and Shtrkovo and to the north the mountain Asanova Chuka, to the east Bigla mountain and to the south German mountain.

Before the start of the Civil War about 2,180 residents of Macedonian background lived in the village.

The residents were employed in raising livestock, agriculture, timber getting and other trades and important activities for such a big village.

In the period 1946-49, the residents of the village actively took part in the organization of NOF and the armed forces of DAG led by KPG with more than 380 active fighters. During the time of the bloody battles in which brother fought brother, 95 gave their lives and 15 patrots were shot in the Lerin prison. They were:

1. Arnautov, Mitre Goche
2. Asencharov, Tanas Risto
3. Asencharov, Tanas Bozhin
4. Boglev, Kole Petre
5. Boshev, Iljo Stojan
6. Boshev, Stojan Nikola
7. Veljanov, Spase Mitre
8. Vlashki, German Tanas
9. Vlashki, Stojan Vangel
10. Vlashki, Eftim Ahilea
11. Vlashki, Naum Krstin
12. Vrlev, Risto German
13. Gashtov, Jovan Eftim
14. Gerovska, Iljo Tronda
15. Gerovski, Iljo Risto
16. Gerovski, Lambro Vangel
17. Gineva, Kote Ristojtsa
18. Gineva, Tsvetko Tronda
19. Grezhlovski, Ognen Kire
20. Grozdanov, Mitre German
21. Grozdanov, Krste Tanas
22. Golchevski, Mijal Kosta
23. Damov, Risto Petre
24. Damov, Mjal Joshe
25. Damov, Tanas Sime
26. Dimovski, Tsvetko Done
27. Dimovski, Kosta German
28. Dimcheva, Kolachkova Elena
29. Dojchinov, Stavre Bogoja
30. Dojchinov, Spiro Goche
31. Dupchinov, Lazar Pando
32. Durlov, Done Kosta
33. Durlova, Najdo Jana
34. Gjakovski, Krstin Sarfo
35. Gjakovski, Done Vangel
36. Gjakovski, Nakje Pavle
37. Jovanov, Risto Petre
38. Kajchovski, Naum Vangel
39. Kajchovski, Boris Done
40. Kajchovski, Sarfo Vasil
41. Kajchovski, Gjorgji Mitre
42. Karlovska, Nate Dosta
43. Kiprev, Dime Stojan
44. Kiprev, Vasil Goche
45. Kolevski, Goche Mitre
46. Kolachkov, Vasil Stojan
47. Kolachkov, Petre Spase
48. Kuzmanov, Mitre Ilija
49. Kufalov, Done Lambro
50. Kufalova, Gligur Vasilka
51. Langov, Nikola Kote
52. Langov, Lazar Trajko
53. Langov, Risto Mitre
54. Laov, Pavle Ilija
55. Laov, Nikola German
56. Lelifanov, Done Bogoja
57. Madzhev, Kire Vasil
58. Madzhev, Kote Mitre
59. Madzhev, Stefo Mitre
60. Mechkarov, Alekso Stevo
61. Muchkarov, Noachev Krstin
62. Muchkarov, Mitre Bogoja
63. Nakjev, Naum Krstin
64. Nedekjin, Alekso Ilija
65. Nikin, Mijal Joshe
66. Nikovski, Lambro Risto
67. Nikovski, Vane Tanas
68. Nushev, Fote Trifun
69. Nushev, Petre Bogoja
70. Pajkov, Risto Mile
71. Pajkov, Trajan Tanas
72. Pajkova, Stojan Germanija
73. Petkov, Tanas Kosta
74. Petkovska, Stoja
75. Petkashinov, German Stojan
76. Petkov, Filip Lambro
77. Pitropov, Fote Mitre
78. Popovski, Mitre Alekso
79. Popovski, Lazar Mijale
80. Popovski, Sotir Nikola
81. Rusev, Mitre Tanas
82. Saragilovski, Iljo Mitre
83. Sekulovski, Tanas Simo
84. Sivakov, Lambro Trajan
85. Topalo,v Mijal Joshe
86. Topalov, Iljo Mitre
87. Ushlinov, Krstin Vange
88. Ushlino,v Stojan Alekso
89. Frtkarov, Alekso Ilija
90. Tsrnilazarov, Vangel Joshe
91. Tsuklev, Vasil Kosta
92. Chetelev, Risto Tsvetko
93. Chetelev, Stefo Nikola
94. Dzhuklev, Vasil Kote
95. Shapkov, Risto Pavle

The German residents who were shot in the Lerin prison on 29.10.1948 by the monarcho-fascists were:

1. Babinkostov, Risto German
2. Velev, Petko Vasil
3. Boglev, Kole German
4. Ivanovski, German Andrea
5. Jankov, Risto Stojan
6. Joanov, Risto Joshe
7. Langovski, Vasil Stojan
8. Mechkarov, Alekso Fote
9. Mladenov, Iliija German
10. Nushevski, Petre Vangel
11. Rusevski, Goche Lazar
12. Torkov, Andrea Metodi
13. Chetelevski, Stefo Vangel

The following organizers from the village were shot:

1. Pitrupov, Vasil German
2. Shapkov, Tsvetko Bozhin

Of all of the fallen fighters who gave their young lives there were 86 men and 9 women. Imprisoned and killed were 15 residents from the village. In total 110 patriots were killed.

After the Greek Civil War and the forced emigration from the village German, the number of residents fell significantly. In the official census in Greece in 1991 it was recorded that there were 267 residents in the village.

FAMILY NAMES

Here is a list of family names which at one point lived in German (although it is NEVER complete).

In the first column is the original Macedonian version of the name. In many cases individuals and families that have emigrated to other countries have had their names 'localized' to the local language (in Australia/Canada/USA they have been shorted - Ivanov to Evans, Branov to Brown). In the European countries they have adjusted to include "-ski" or "-sky" (examples are Popovski from Popov, Mangovsky from Mangos).

In the second column is how it would be written in Macedonian (NOTE: you will need to have the "MAC C Times" Truetype font installed on your system to properly read it. For more information on how to get this done please visit Biser Balkanski - How To Install Macedonian fonts on your computer .

The third column is the Hellenized (ie. "Greek") version assigned by the Greek government in the years which followed the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913. In a majority of the cases the changes did not appear until after 1920. In many cases as with the village names, an attempt was made to spell the last names in the Greek alphabet sound-for-sound but it was later decided to make them sound more "Greek" (examples were "Dimov" to "Dimopoulos", "Iliev" to "Iliadis").

For those unaware, the Treaty of Bucharest "divided the spoils" of Macedonia amongst the three neighbouring countries - Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia. Amongst the worst of what was to follow happened in Greece - family names were given "Greek" versions, village names were renamed, churches were re-Christened under Greek saints, tombstones and epitaphs along with any visible signs of the Macedonian language were erased and re-written in Greek.

POPULATION

HISTORY

LINKS

• Google maps - German
• Wikipedia - German, Lerinsko

MEDIA GALLERY