Von Trotha out, Herero Street in

[Ya Sam]

Von Trotha out, Herero Street in

HENNING HINTZE

THE City Council of the Bavarian capital Munich has decided to change the 
name of what has been called Von Trotha Street.

The coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green Party 
passed a motion on Thursday to change the name to Herero Street.

The two major opposition parties in Munich, the conservative Christian 
Social Union (CSU) and the liberal party FDP, voted against the motion.

The initiative for this name change was started in June 2003 by a councillor 
of the Green Party, Siegfried Benker.

He felt it was a shame for Munich to still have a street bearing the name of 
a man who was notorious for the extermination order he issued on October 2, 
1904.

General Lothar von Trotha, who served as German Governor from 1904 to 1905, 
was one of the key figures of the German genocide committed against the 
Herero and Nama people in Namibia.

At the commemoration of the battle Hamakari in August 2004 the German 
Minister for Technical Cooperation and Development, Heidemarie 
Wieczorek-Zeul (SPD), apologised for the German genocide and she made 
mention of Von Trotha.

Referring to the atrocities that took place under his command, she said that 
if the genocide had occurred now, Von Trotha would have had to face trial 
and "would be sentenced".

During the debate in the Munich City Council the chief whip of the CSU, Hans 
Podiuk, justified the use of the name 'Von Trotha', saying the street name 
is not meant to honour General Von Trotha but the entire family.

He referred to a decision of 1993.

However, if ordinary Germans see the name 'Von Trotha' they automatically 
think of the notorious General.

Many young Germans do not even know the name Von Trotha.

The older generation, particularly when they saw the junction of Von Trotha 
and Waterberg Street, immediately thought of General von Trotha.

When officials of the Nazi Party in 1933 named the street after Von Trotha, 
the General was widely regarded as a colonial hero.

CSU councillor Podiuk expressed his party's view that if the street had to 
change its name he would not be in favour of the name Herero Street.

Without mentioning any names, he referred to historians who claimed the 
Hereros, long before the arrival of the Germans, had committed genocide 
against the San people.

This statement caused an emotional reaction on the part of Green councillor 
Benker.

He accused the CSU of trying to portray the Hereros as perpetrators in order 
to distract attention from the German colonial crimes.

All houses in Munich carry a visible plate on which the name of the street 
is written, and so all houses in the former Von Trotha Street will need new 
signs.

The costs for the name change to 'Herero Street' will be covered by the City 
Council.

* Meanwhile, in Germany's capital Berlin, a seminar on possible ways of 
making reparations to the Herero and Nama people will be held on October 13 
and 14.

The seminar is convened by Hueseyin Aydin of the Left party, together with 
the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.

Namibian MP Arnold Tjihuiko, as representative of Chief Kuaima Riruako, and 
Rudolph Hongoze of the secretariat of the six Herero royal houses have 
confirmed their participation.

Aydin was invited by Chief Riruako to address this year's Herero Day.

http://www.namibian.com.na/2006/October/national/064F6075AB.html

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