Berlin's 'Moors' Street' renamed after years of controversy

A Berlin street was officially renamed on Saturday for an 18th-century African philosopher after years of debate over its previous name that many considered outdated and offensive.

The local council in the central Mitte district announced in 2020 that it wanted to change the name of the street from Mohrenstrasse (Moors' Street) to Anton Wilhelm Amo Street, after the first black philosopher known to have taught at a German university. The Mohrenstrasse metro station also took the new name on Saturday, a date chosen to coincide with the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade.