Mohrenstrasse is renamed Anton-Wilhelm-Amo-Straße: Court decides!

Mohrenstrasse is renamed Anton-Wilhelm-Amo-Straße: Court decides!

A year-long legal dispute over Mohrenstrasse in Berlin has now been finally decided: The Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg has rejected an application for a calling against the renaming and thus confirmed the previous decision of the administrative court. As Zeit , the street is now renamed Anton-Wilhelm-Amo-Straße.

Anton Wilhelm Amo, born around 1703 in today's Ghana, was the first known African philosopher and lawyer in Germany. In a upheaval, which has long been requested by those responsible for the Mitte district, led by the Greens, the previous name is classified as racist. Local residents who had resisted the renaming had to take a defeat in court and have therefore left the legal dispute.

a step towards justice

The decision of the OVG is now final. According to ZDF today there are no serious doubts about the legality of the judgment. The renaming, which was already decided by the district assembly in August 2020, emphasizes the discriminatory echoes of the term "Mohr", a name that damages the reputation of Berlin.

The Higher Administrative Court found that road renaming is general orders in the public interest and judicial control is severely restricted in the event of contesting residents. The renaming according to the African thinker is now being implemented, as already initiated by the district office in April 2021.

The discussion about colonial legacy

But the renaming has not only legal, but also historical dimensions. As Deutschlandfunk Kultur reports in detail, the term "Mohrenstraße" is criticized by activists such as Mnyaka Sururu Mboro, who compares it with the n-word. Tahir Della from the initiative for black people in Germany also calls for a change and sees in the previous naming a punishment of the history of the first black people in the city.

The colonial history of Germany, whose roots reach until the 17th century, resonates in the discussion about Mohrenstrasse and the name change. Critics of the renaming argue that the new name also lost historical references. Instead of a mere change, they want pointy boards that deal with the story with dignity. Nevertheless, it turns out that many Berliners maintain the memory of the slave trade at an annual festival that takes place on August 23 and consider the new naming as progress.

The Berlin cityscape will continue to change by renaming. This decision is not only a legal, but also a step towards a non -discriminatory society that is aware of its colonial past. Anton Wilhelm Amo is thus posthumously recognized and a city that is committed to the critical use of its history is integrated.