Berlin’s underground is the latest battleground in Germany’s culture war

By the time I got to Mohrenstrasse, the protesters and their BLM placards were long gone. The only thing they’d left behind was some red paint, splattered on the sign above the subway station. I guess this was meant to imply that by naming this U-Bahn station Mohrenstrasse, Berlin’s public transport bigwigs had blood on their hands, or something. But today, in the pale autumn sunlight, it actually looked rather attractive and artistic. I hope they keep it there.

For this subway sign to remain here, albeit with a light splattering of red paint upon it, would, to my mind, be a good solution to a problem that’s dogged Berlin’s U-Bahn network for years: namely, how to tackle the protestors who claim that the name Mohrenstrasse (Street of the Moors) is racist.

Yet maintaining this historic name is no longer a long-term option, for Berlin has now bowed to pressure from anti-colonial activists, and decided to rename the street from which this station takes its name.