MUNICH — On November 15, 2026, a de-colonial parade will march from the Museum Fünf Kontinente to the Bismarckdenkmal, demanding a say in which historical figures are enshrined in Munich’s street names. Organized by MORGEN e.V., the event will spotlight streets named after colonial figures like Nachtigal, Lüderitz, von Gravenreuth and Kolumbus — a direct challenge to the city's commemorative practices.
Who Is Honored in Public Space?
Organizers call the march a “decolonial parade” — a public intervention in the ongoing debate over historical memory. The route runs from the Museum Fünf Kontinente along the Maximilianstraße to the Bismarckdenkmal.
“We ask: Who is honored in public space? Whose stories are heard?” the group wrote in its announcement. “And how can affected communities actively shape the renaming of streets?” The explicit answer: with participation. Their demand is unequivocal — a critical reckoning with colonial history must not happen without the people whose perspectives have received too little consideration.
Why November 15: Echoes of the Berlin Congo Conference
The date is no accident. On November 15, 1884, the so-called Africa or Congo Conference was opened in Berlin, where European states — under the chairmanship of Otto von Bismarck — negotiated colonial claims to power, with no participation from the people of the affected African societies.
That parallel is central to the event’s purpose. “We use this date to connect different colonial memory histories and make their traces in today’s Munich visible,” MORGEN e.V. stated, drawing a line from 19th-century imperialism to the city’s 21st-century urban planning.
Performances, Speeches and Alternative Names
This will be more than a protest march. The parade features performances, speeches and alternative naming proposals aimed squarely at the city’s colonial legacy. Focal points include streets bearing colonial-loaded names such as Nachtigal, Lüderitz, von Gravenreuth and Kolumbus.
The event is an action by MORGEN e.V. as part of, and in cooperation with, the project “Sensing Sites – Dekoloniale Gedächtnissuche,” which addresses colonial histories inscribed in urban spaces.
A Push for a “Multi-voiced Culture of Remembrance”
At its core, the event is a call for a more democratic culture of remembrance, described by organizers as “vielstimmig” — multi-voiced. Decisions about street names and told histories, organizers argue, have been made without input from the communities most affected by those legacies. Their demand: Mitbestimmung — co-determination — as a cornerstone of any future decisions.
The parade is an invitation to Munich residents to “bring your voices” and stand up for a culture of remembrance that critically processes colonial violence, involves affected communities and enables civil-society participation.
