Colonialism - Mannheim chooses replacements for historically burdened street names
The Mannheimer City Council will choose new names for four historically controversial streets at 4:00 p.m. on the 16th. The experts consider these streets to be named after colonialists and a supporter of National Socialism up until now. In March, citizens selected four favorites from among 18 names: the Asian traveler Marco Polo, the world traveler Ida Pfeiffer, the meteorologist and geophysicist Georg Balthasar Neumayer, and the writer Isabelle Eberhardt.
The Leibniz Institute for European History had criticized the four existing street names in a report back in 2020. The name-givers, such as Gustav Nachtigal and Theodor Leutwein, were racists and colonialists, it was stated then. The experts recommended changing the street names.
The City Council decided in February 2022 to change the names by a majority vote. The names should also fall under the motto of the affected district "Researchers and Persons of Transcultural Exchange".
- The decision to rename the controversial streets in Mannheim, which bear the names of colonialists and a supporter of National Socialism, is part of Germany's ongoing efforts to confront and reevaluate its colonial past.
- Baden-Württemberg, like many regions in Germany, has been actively reviewing and changing street names linked to colonialism, reflecting a broader shift in historical understanding and national values.
- The choice of new street names in Mannheim will likely avoid references to colonialism and promote figures who embody the values of the commune, such as explorers, scientists, or writers who championed cultural exchange.
- The process of renaming streets in Mannheim, a city deeply rooted in German history, is also a symbolic step towards a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of Germany's past, extending beyond National Socialism and colonialism.
