Single crystals of the novel ternary compounds EuZn 2 Si 2 and EuZn 2 Ge 2 were grown from pure gallium, indium, or zinc metal used as a 6ux solvent. Crystal properties were characterized using X-ray single-crystal analyses via Gandol5 and Weissenberg 5lm techniques and by four-circle X-ray single-crystal di4ractometry. The new compounds crystallize with ternary derivative structures of BaAl 4 , i.e., EuZn 2 Si 2 with ThCr 2 Si 2 -type (a ؍ 0.42607(2) nm, c ؍ 1.03956(5) nm, I4/mmm, R 1 ؍ 0.038) and EuZn 2 Ge 2 with CaBe 2 Ge 2 -type (a ؍ 0.43095(2) nm, c ؍ 1.07926(6) nm, P4/nmm, R 1 ؍ 0.067). XAS and magnetic measurements on EuZn 2 Si 2 and EuZn 2 Ge 2 revealed in both compounds the presence of Eu 2؉ ions carrying large magnetic moments, which order magnetically at low temperatures. The magnetic phase transition occurs at T N ؍ 16 and 7.5 K for the silicide and the germanide, respectively. In EuZn 2 Si 2 there occurs a spin reorientation at 13 K and furthermore some canting of antiferromagnetically ordered moments below about 10 K. In EuZn 2 Ge 2 a canted antiferromagnetic structure is formed just at T N .