Protest in Bavaria: Do several municipalities have to change their coats of arms now? Diet discussed

Numerous Bavarian coats of arms bear it: the "Mohr".

That should change.

The accusation is: racism.

The Bavarian state parliament will give its assessment.

• The Coburg and many other city arms are under criticism.

• Because they show a "Mohr".

• The Bavarian state parliament will decide how to deal with the racism allegations.

Munich - The

is emblazoned on many Bavarian city coats of arms: a head with curly black hair and thick red lips.

Does this portrayal convey a false, stereotypical image that stems from the colonial era?

The Bavarian state parliament will discuss and decide, as a spokeswoman confirmed on Monday.

The

, the

and the

are to change their coats of arms.

That calls for a petition.

The coat of arms of the

* has also been criticized.

Alright or Racist?

Bavarian State Parliament discusses the "Mohr" coat of arms

"Political majorities to change the city coat of arms are not perceptible in the committees of the city of Coburg", emphasized the Coburg Lord Mayor

(SPD) in a statement to the state government.

The representation honors the city saint Mauritius and has no racist origin.

The “Mohr” in the coat of arms of the

and

has a different background: According to the information, the crowned head of the black was considered the emblem of the diocese and bishopric of Freising.

+

Racist or okay?

The Bavarian state parliament will discuss the Coburg coat of arms.

© Daniel Karmann / dpa / picture alliance

"We demand a change of the coat of arms in order

to give

black people the

they deserve and not

to reduce

them to a

that we know from the time of slavery," the initiators of the petition write down the platform change.org was published.

Racism debate: steroids from the colonial era continue discrimination

The problem with the debate seems to be that the defenders and the critics of the coat of arms argue from different points of view.

The defenders emphasize that the coats of arms do not

pursue

- neither in the past nor in the present.

The critics, in turn, explain that it doesn't matter at all.

Instead, the symbols use stereotypes that

arose

during the

.

This period was clearly racist and marked by white supremacy.

With the continued use of symbols or language from this period,

cultivated and

continues.

“The question is more: do you want that or not?

Because white people have to decide: Do they want to carry on traditional racist narratives and terms and thus keep them alive? ”Wrote the author and anti-racism activist

last on Facebook.

Those who support these structures can continue to use the terms.

Those who reject racism and oppression should leave it.

Video: No more the name “Gypsy Sauce” - Knorr is renaming popular sauce

The Black Lives Matter movement *, which gained momentum through the violent death of George Floyd *, has initiated changes in many areas.

Since then there has also been a lot of debate in Germany about stereotypical and discriminatory language and symbols.

The manufacturer Knorr announced that it would rename its “Gypsy Sauce”;

the “Mohrenstrasse” in Berlin is also getting a new name.

A Munich pharmacy * was also open to change and made the M-word disappear from the name.