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New spelling board: Break with the past for more equality!
Zwickau discusses the reform of the spelling board, which was introduced in 2022 to shed old ideologies and become more gender-equitable.
New spelling board: Break with the past for more equality!
The spelling board, which has been used in German for years, is facing a significant change. The German Institute for Standardization (DIN) introduced a new spelling board in 2022, which has been valid since May 2022. This reform represents an important step towards coming to terms with history. Old, historically loaded first names such as “Anton” or “Berta” have now been replaced by city names – for example, it is now “A for Aachen” instead of “A for Anton”. This reports Mercury.
The background to this change is not only the desire for contemporary language, but also the coming to terms with the National Socialist past. The old spelling board was characterized, among other things, by ideological prejudices and was no longer neutral since 1934, as Jewish names were removed. Dr. Michael Blume, anti-Semitism commissioner in Baden-Württemberg, advocated for the reform, which aims to break with the historical legacy and portray a more open image of society.
New and old: spelling with tradition
What was also noticeable about the new board was that the old version had a strong imbalance in gender representation: a total of 16 male and only 6 female first names were part of the previous list. Here the new board provides incentives for equality and diversity.
Despite these positive changes, there is notable skepticism within the population. Many people stick with the old spelling board, which can lead to confusion. In particular, important institutions such as the police and fire departments usually use their own systems, which are not affected by the DIN standard. The old board will still be in use there.
International standards in comparison
In international comparison, the NATO alphabet has relied on clear and unambiguous spelling for years in order to avoid misunderstandings. A simple principle that is appreciated everywhere. This is evident in practice: many people prefer tried-and-tested systems, even when new standards are established. This is also reported, for example, by users who are dissatisfied with the Facebook app because certain settings are unfortunately often not implemented reliably, as a user noticed in April 2022 that the dark mode was not saved - an annoyance that causes similar confusion as the controversial spelling board.
The change not only leads to discussions, but also to looking back and coming to terms with things. It will be exciting to see how social acceptance of this new norm will develop. A good hand at communicating these changes could help both inform the population and reinforce the new standards.