'Austerlitz' originates as the German name for a Central European village, specifically the German name used historically for the Czech town now called 'Slavkov u Brna'.

'Austerlitz' was used in German and other languages as the place-name for the village; the name entered wider European languages and histories through accounts of the 1805 'Battle of Austerlitz' and later through cultural works (for example, the novel 'Austerlitz').

Initially, it referred simply to the place; over time the name became strongly associated with the 1805 battle and, by extension in literature and memory studies, with historical memory and trauma.