Berlin Authorities Suggest Renaming Square Over 'Colonial' Ties

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th March, 2023) Berlin authorities suggested that the city's residents choose a new name for Nettelbeckplatz in central Berlin.

Joachim Nettelbeck (1738-1824) was a Prussian officer and patriot, who fought against Napoleon and became famous for advising the Prussian crown to occupy the French colonies in India. This fact is why the authorities linked Nettelbeck's name to Germany's colonial past, leading them to believe the square, located in Berlin-Wedding, should be renamed.

The initiative was published by the city's authorities on Monday. They asked the residents for suggestions, stressing that the proposed Names should not repeat those already used anywhere in the city and that female names would have priority.

The initiative was not unanimously supported by Berliners, who expressed their disagreement, sometimes in a mocking form. At the same time, Berlin authorities have received a number of suggestions, including the names of Raisa and Mikhail Gorbachev, Oskar Schindler and Simone de Beauvoir.

The campaign of Berlin authorities is not the first example of renaming places in Germany due to political reasons. In December, several streets in Berlin were renamed after those who resisted colonial rule in Africa.