Petitions for Alleyway Nomenclature Changes
In the heart of Münster, a long-standing debate has emerged over the proposed renaming of several streets in the district of Münster-Mitte. The District Council of Münster-Mitte made the decision to rename five streets in May, citing their connections to Nazism and a battlefield in World War I. However, this decision has sparked a significant response from local residents.
A citizens' initiative, formed swiftly in opposition to the renaming, has collected over 8,000 signatures. The group argues that the costs associated with the changes, the disruption to residents, and the streets' role as part of the residents' identity should be considered. They propose instead informing about the historical backgrounds of the street names.
The Bund der Antifaschistinnen und Antifaschisten, on the other hand, supports the renaming of the streets. They view street names as honors to those after whom they are named, and consider the renaming as correct and long overdue. The organisation in Münster has also criticised the citizens' initiative against the renaming.
The five streets set to be renamed are Admiral-Scheer-Straße, Admiral-Spee-Straße, Langemarckstraße, Otto-Weddigen-Straße, and Skagerrakstraße. The Admiral-Scheer-Straße, for instance, honors a person who was supposed to become the successor of the Reich President Hindenburg.
The District Council of Münster-Mitte is currently checking the validity of the signatures submitted by the citizens' initiative. If enough valid signatures have been collected, the Council could potentially change its decision on the renaming of the streets. If the Council does not change its decision, the citizens' initiative plans to initiate a citizens' vote.
The renaming of the streets in Münster-Mitte remains a controversial topic in the city, with passionate arguments on both sides. The citizens' initiative will hand over several folders full of signatures to the District Council of Münster-Mitte on Tuesday afternoon (05.08.). Only time will tell how this debate unfolds.
- The citizens' initiative, seeking to halt the renaming of five streets in Münster-Mitte, suggests an alternative approach: informing about the historical backgrounds of the street names, instead of changing them.
- The Bund der Antifaschistinnen und Antifaschisten, in support of the street renaming, views the proposed changes as long overdue and correct, given the controversial histories associated with the street names.
