Ehrenfeld and Nippes: Historical street renaming is imminent!

Ehrenfeld and Nippes: Historical street renaming is imminent!

In Cologne, three streets are about to be renamed that were previously named after historical figures whose actions are strongly linked to the crimes of National Socialism and the German colonial era. The final decision for the new names will be made in the district councils on September 8th and 9th, so it is now time to ceremoniously integrate the new names into the cityscape. So reported Cologne City Gazette, that the streets will be renamed Ehrenfeld and Nippes, paving the way for a more comprehensive examination of the city's colonial legacy.

There is great excitement in Ehrenfeld. The district council will make decisions on two new street names on September 8th. The renaming was decided in November 2023 after the Historical Advisory Board and a majority of residents voted in favor of it. The suggestions for the new names were submitted online in the city's participation portal and the population had the opportunity to cast their vote. Loud WDR The previous names stood for “extensive colonial violence” and those responsible were stopped from delving deeper into history.

The new names in Ehrenfeld

• „Wißmannstraße“ wird zu „Fasia-Jansen-Straße“: Hermann von Wißmann war Reichskommissar in Deutsch-Ostafrika und ist für brutale Kolonialpolitik bekannt. Fasia Jansen hingegen war eine Zwangsarbeiterin, die später als Liedermacherin und Aktivistin hervortrat.
• „Gravenreuthstraße“ wird zu „Cilly-Servé-Straße“: Der Namensgeber Karl von Gravenreuth war Kolonialpionier, der an vielen Militäraktionen beteiligt war. Cilly Servé kämpfte als Teil der Edelweißpiraten für Deserteure und Verfolgte.

But that's not all, because changes are also coming to Nippes. On September 9th, the district council will decide on renaming “Gustav-Nachtigal-Straße”. The former Reich Commissioner for West Africa contributed significantly to the spread of German colonialism. The new name “Manga Bell Street” will commemorate the recognized symbols of anti-colonial resistance in Cameroon — Emily and Rudolf Manga Bell.

A step in the right direction

The city of Cologne is continuously working on coming to terms with its colonial legacy. A report has confirmed that a total of around 1,200 street names in Cologne are connected to colonial or National Socialist backgrounds. Several renamings have been carried out in recent years, including “Mohrenstraße”, which is now called “Gregorius-Maurus-Straße”. The new decisions will be published in the Official Journal and will be subject to a one-year transition period during which both the old and new names will be used.

The topic is complex and offers a lot to discuss. However, the changes in Cologne's streets are an important step towards taking history into account and further pushing forward projects to deal with the colonial legacy. The city of Cologne has a good hand when it comes to shedding light on the past while at the same time looking into the future.