# Where is Rzerztrowitz today, and what, if anything, is it called? (Poland? Czechia?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2026, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-rzerztrowitz-today-and-what-if-anything-is-it-called-poland-czechia/1027087 "2026-01-27T14:04:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-rzerztrowitz-today-and-what-if-anything-is-it-called-poland-czechia/1027087/1 "2026-01-27T14:04:26Z")
Disclaimer: It’s possible this place never existed, or was badly misspelled. OK, went down the rabbit hole looking for info on [M.W. De Laubenfels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Walker_de_Laubenfels), a zoologist from Stanford whose specialty was sponges, but who also published one of the first papers positing that the extinction of the (non-avian) dinosaurs might have been the result of an asteroid strike (1956). Anyway. . . his grandfather was one [Capt. John de Laubenfels](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114927087/john_laube-delaubenfels) (né Laubenfels with out ‘de’), whose handwritten biography appears on his findadeath page, where he mentions his birth city. He also says that his daughter is a baroness. Maybe she is, maybe not, but if he isn’t part of some peerage, then who now much is accurate. I’ll take on faith that he was a captain in the Union army, but who knows? Adding to my suspicion about how accurate this is comes from the notification of his death (also on findagrave), where it says " his career had been a most chequered and eventful one. Beyond this he seldom spoke." So, rather mum about his past. Anyway (again). . . a Google search for this phantom city brings up exactly one citation–the aforementioned findagrave entry. So. . . anyone wanna tackle this? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-rzerztrowitz-today-and-what-if-anything-is-it-called-poland-czechia/1027087/2 "2026-01-27T14:14:10Z")
Biggest city in southeastern Poland: > **[Rzeszów](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rzesz%C3%B3w)** > > Rzeszów (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}US: /ˈʒɛʃuːf, -ʃʊf/ ZHESH-oof, -⁠uuf, Polish: \[ˈʐɛʂuf\] ⓘ\[a\]) is the largest city in southeastern Poland. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River in the heartland of the Sandomierz Basin. Rzeszów is the capital of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship and the seat of Rzeszów County. > The histor... ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-rzerztrowitz-today-and-what-if-anything-is-it-called-poland-czechia/1027087/3 "2026-01-27T14:15:00Z")
Aha! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-rzerztrowitz-today-and-what-if-anything-is-it-called-poland-czechia/1027087/4 "2026-01-27T14:39:55Z")
9 minutes from Q to A. Nicely done!