The street sign was unveiled at a ceremony—the square is now named after Martha Ndumbe.
© dpa
Nettelbeckplatz in Berlin-Mitte is now called Martha-Ndumbe-Platz. The new street sign was officially unveiled during a ceremony in the afternoon. The search for a new name was a lengthy process. According to the district office, more than 500 suggestions were submitted by the public.
A commission consisting of local residents, initiatives, and institutions selected three favorites. In January, the district council decided to rename the square after Martha Ndumbe (1902 to 1945).
Joachim Nettelbeck (1738 to 1824), after whom the square in Wedding was previously named, was a chief mate on slave ships and is considered an advocate of colonialism, slavery, and racist-imperialist ideologies. From the district's point of view, this means that the necessary criteria for renaming a street are met, also with regard to the legal requirements.
The new namesake, Martha Ndumbe, was born in Berlin. Her mother was from Hamburg and her father was from Cameroon. During the Nazi dictatorship, Martha Ndumbe was deported to the Ravensbrück women's concentration camp in 1944. She died there in February 1945. By renaming the square, the district wants to commemorate the victims of racist violence and bring a previously marginalized biography to light.