Square in Cologne should be named after Dirk Bach - but there is also criticism

Created: 06/06/2022, 23:23

By: Johanna Werning

The Offenbachplatz in Cologne (here a picture from 2019) could be named after Dirk Bach.

(Montage) © Schöning/Imago & eventfoto54/Imago

The city has spoken out in favor of a Dirk Bach Square in Cologne.

There is already a place for that.

Nevertheless, the decision is only conditional.

Cologne – October marks the tenth anniversary of Dirk Bach's death.

The comedy and RTL star from Cologne died on October 1, 2012. Now a place is named after Dirk Bach.

This is the area in front of the theater in downtown Cologne, as reported by 24RHEIN.

Dirk-Bach-Platz in Cologne: Area at the current "small Offenbachplatz"

To be more precise: the area that the people of Cologne call “small Offenbachplatz”.

The square, which officially has no name, is on Brüderstraße - a little behind the actual Offenbachplatz on the north-south route.

The suggestion for the Dirk-Bach-Platz was made by the Cologne Aidshilfe and the Centrum Schwule Geschichte eV.

Dirk-Bach-Platz is to be built on Brüderstraße in downtown Cologne © Stadt Köln

"In addition to his artistic work, Dirk Bach also had various socio-political issues at heart," the clubs continue.

"As an openly homosexual, in which this was by no means a matter of course, Dirk Bach campaigned for equal rights for homosexuals at an early stage."

Dirk-Bach-Platz Cologne: Decision made – but only with reservations

Now the proposal was approved by a majority of the city center district council at the meeting on Thursday (June 2nd).

However, it is not yet certain whether Dirk-Bach-Platz on Brüderstraße will actually come.

The reason: paragraph 2 point 7.2 of the ZuStO of the city of Cologne.

Because the district councils may only name streets and squares if "their importance does not go significantly beyond the city district".

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"A possible supra-district significance is currently being clarified by the administration.

An opinion is not yet available,” the decision continues.

According to this, a naming of the square on Brüderstraße could initially only be made with reservations.

Cologne: Dirk-Bach-Platz meets with criticism

There was criticism of the project beforehand.

The Cologne Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation clearly opposes the partial renaming of Offenbachplatz.

"In times of growing anti-Semitism, which is reflected not only in violent attacks but also in everyday forms of discrimination against Jews, the (partial) renaming of the central Cologne square planned by the Cologne district council not only represents a completely wrong signal, but also shows a lack of knowledge of the cultural-political work of Jews in general and Jacques Offenbach in particular," says Dr.

Marcus Meier from the company in a statement.