(03-02-2016, 06:46 PM)MidTowner Wrote: It is truly bizarre to me to mark 2016...the City Formerly Known as Berlin became a city in 1912, not 1916. Maybe jgsz is right that we should be having a big centennial celebration this year, then.
Here's the thing. Yes, the city formerly known as Berlin became a city in 1912. But it was in 1916 that (a minority of) citizens voted to change the name of the city.
When a town becomes a city is a rather dry, bureaucratic decision. Some faceless bureaucrat or bureaucrats decided that Berlin (and other towns) becomes a city when the population reaches x number of people. It's arbitrary and without sentiment. Not much to celebrate or commemorate, especially when you juxtapose that to a decision made by the people. And in 1916 the people, as it were, spoke.
So here we are a hundred years later and the name change seems to be a subject that no politician wants to touch -- yet.
Any why? Probably, because by today's standards a grievous error was committed against the citizens of a city who, through no fault of their own, who were not disloyal, who committed no crime and who were not violent or rebellious, and who were not given the option to retain the chosen name of their city, were intimidated, sometimes by violent acts, to stay at home and to shut up. Today we would say, WTF?
This issue troubles me because injustice troubles me. But the injustice could be remedied -- if there is the political will. No, Kitchener's name doesn't have to be changed back to Berlin. That would be too cumbersome and unnecessary, especially if Kitchener and Waterloo merge. But Mayor Vrbanovic, who is of neither German or English heritage, could offer an apology. And perhaps the former city of Berlin could be celebrated by erecting historical place signs at major roads leading into the place once called Berlin.