An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Platz

by Friedrich Kluge

Platz (1.), masculine, ‘place, row, seat, situation,’ from Middle High German platz, masculine, ‘open space, place’; formed, like Dutch plaats, from the Romance cognates, Italian piazza, French and English place, which are derived from Latin platē̆a (Greek πλατεῖα), ‘street.’ The word seems to have been borrowed towards the end of the 13th century.

Platz (2.), masculine, ‘pancake, fritter’; Middle High German only in Middle German platzbęcke, ‘pastry cook’; allied to platt, or from Polish placek, ‘flat cake’?. The word is also current in Upper German.