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Black place names debate: Mayor opposes name change
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Can this place be called that? A sign points the way to Neger
Source: dpa / Jonas Güttler
2020 was also the year of debates about everyday racism. A place in the Sauerland now has to grapple with the question of whether it should be called what it’s called: Black. The mayor sees no reason to change the name.
men the debate on everyday racism, the town of Neger in Sauerland has also come into the spotlight. The name always raises questions, said Olpe Mayor Peter Weber, the German press agency. The place belongs to the city of Olpe. It is located in the Black Valley and is divided into Untereger, Mitteleger, and Oberneger. The names are several centuries old. Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020 and subsequent anti-racism protests also in Germany, letters were received “demanding the name change of the Neger village,” said the CDU politician. The signs of the places had been stained in summer.
“Of course, the name has no racist background,” Weber emphasized. He has “no reason to change the name of a place that has been established for centuries.” The attitude of the people towards this issue is fundamental. And the city, the town and the citizens have repeatedly shown that there is no place for racism with them. The mayor also made it clear that he was not aware of any racist or xenophobic behavior in the towns of Valle Negro.
Berlin linguist Anatol Stefanowitsch says: “The N word is extremely degrading, in the German language it is one of the worst discriminatory words of all.” Local residents cannot be charged with living in the city. “But you can ask them to change their perspective.” There must be a willingness to think about what the name of the place could mean to others, which could be very painful. There are other place names that might be controversial, for example Mohrkirch and Negernbötel in Schleswig-Holstein or Groß Mohrdorf in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The place name Neger has been used for 700 years, named after the little river Neger, explains name researcher Markus Denkler of the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association (LWL). The word is formed from a root “Nag-” that cannot be clearly derived. Nothing precise can be said about the origin and original meaning. However, the research does not see any derivation of the Latin word “niger”, which means “black”, “dark”.
Tahir Della from the Schwarzer Menschen in Deutschland (ISD) Initiative thinks: “It would make sense for the town and municipality to consider that there are people who might feel discriminated against because of their name.” There have been national ISD meetings on various occasions. in nearby Biggesee. “There were some who were horrified when they crossed the N-Ort.” Della emphasizes: “This is not about putting residents in a defensive position. But they should act on the N word ”. According to the ISD, about a million black people live in this country.
