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Abstract

Cities, streets, and public squares typically have names that reflect the culture, values, and heritage of the local community. Often, the chosen names have specific political meanings—and this is as true in democratic countries as in dictatorships. This also applies to twentieth-century Germany, where streets carried the names of kings, political leaders, etc. Thus, it is unsurprising that the National Socialists, as the new leaders of Germany, renamed key sites and streets after 1933 in accordance with their own worldview. Examining those chosen names and sites can tell us a great deal about that worldview and what it encompassed in terms of the German state and the “racial community.” This list compares the names of streets and squares in several German cities before and during the Nazi period. In renaming streets and public places, the Nazis adopted the same approach that they took to art, culture, and other spheres: they removed all references to Jews, removed any evidence of alleged foreign influence, and wiped out any name associated with Weimar republicanism (e.g., Rothschild, Lassalle, Platz der Republik, or Friedrich Ebert). Such names were replaced with the names of leaders and martyrs of National Socialism (Adolf Hitler, Herman Goering, Norkus) or with sites and names associated with famous battles or with German heritage (Tannenberg, Richard Wagner).

Street and Square Name Changes in German Cities after 1933

Source

City

Name before 1933

New Name under National Socialism

Berlin

Friedrich-Ebert-Straße
Hugo-Preuß-Brücke
Platz vor dem Brandenburger Tor
Reichskanzlerplatz
Schillerstraße
Schöneberger Ufer
Silberschmidtweg
Wilhelmplatz

Hermann-Göring-Straße
Admiral-Scheer-Brücke
Hindenburgplatz
Adolf-Hitler-Platz
Arno-Holz-Straße
Großadmiral-von-Köster-Ufer
Langemarckstraße
Richard-Wagner-Platz

Frankfurt am Main

Hangweg
Hausener Landstraße
Lassallestraße
Mendelssohnstraße
Platz der Republik
Rothschildallee

Herbert-Norkus-Weg
Ludendorffstraße
Tannebergstraße
Joseph-Haydn-Straße
Hohenzollernplatz
Karolingerallee

Hamburg

Auersreihe
Bebelallee
Grosseweg
Molkenbuhrsreihe
Rathusmarkt
Von-Elm-Weg

Harry-Hahn-Straße
Adolf-Hitler-Straße
Heinz-Brandes-Weg
Karl-Heinzelmann-Straße
Adolf-Hitler-Platz
Hans-Cyranka-Weg

Hanover

Bahnhofstraße
Friedrich-Ebert-Platz
Georgsplatz
Lange Laube

Adolf-Hitler-Straße
Hakenkreuzplatz
Rustplatz
Straße der SA

Cologne

Bebelplatz
Eintrachtstraße
Hansaplatz
Platz der Republik
Rathenauplatz
Rudolfplatz
Thywissenstraße

Dietrich-Eckart-Platz
Winterbergstraße
Spangenbergplatz
Adolf-Hitler-Platz
Horst-Wessel-Platz
Schlageterplatz
Wilhelm-Gustloff-Platz

Leverkusen

Bebelstraße
Kanalstraße
Karl-Marx-Straße
Schillerstraße

Hermann-Göring-Straße
Hindenburgstraße
Dietrich-Eckart-Straße
Robert-Ley-Straße

Marburg

Biegenstraße
Kasernenstraße
Uferstraße

Straße der SA
Hermann-Göring-Straße
Bernhard-Rust-Straße

Meißen

Bartholomäusstraße
Goethestraße

Franz-Seldte-Straße
Immelmannstraße

Munich

Promenadeplatz
Schyrenplatz

Ritter-von-Epp-Platz
Hirschmannplatz

Nuremberg

Hauptmarkt
Marienplatz
Rathenauplatz
Ziegelstraße

Adolf-Hitler-Platz
Leo-Schlageter-Platz
Feldmarschall-Hindenburg-Platz
Horst-Wessel-Straße

Wuppertal

Königstraße
Walter-Rathenau-Straße

Straße der SA
Hermann-Göring-Straße

Würzburg

Friedrich-Ebert-Straße
Theaterstraße

Horst-Wessel-Straße
Adolf-Hitler-Straße

Source: Tabelle 933 „Namen und Titel“ (pp. 951–952).
In: Bernd Sösemann (ed.; in collaboration with Marius Lange), Propaganda. Medien und Öffentlichkeit in der NS-Diktatur. Vol 2.
Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2011. Table republished with permission.