the berlin name change, 1916. city was about 70 % german origin recently earned city status in...
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KITCHENER AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR
The Berlin Name
Change, 1916
Berlin on the eve of WWI city was about 70 % German origin recently earned city status in June, 1912
with over 15,000 population strong manufacturing town that boasted
its name and background
“Canada’s German Capital”
Berlin’s dual identityGERMAN PRIDE AND
LOYALTIES
ATTACHMENT TO THE BRITISH EMPIRE
Kaiser Wilhelm I Queen Victoria
Berlin saw little conflict in its dual loyalties: Victoria and Wilhelm were cousins.
Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Park today
The Outbreak of War
challenged Berlin’s ability to maintain both loyalties economic concerns: “Made in Berlin” strong British nationalism distrusts many of
German descent seen at start of war with the Kaiser’s Bust
incident August 22nd (or 23rd), 1914 bust pulled off monument and thrown in
Victoria Park Lake!
German community retrieves bust from lake; stores it in the Concordia Club
symbolic anti-German gesture, but sign of growing tensions
Vandalized monument the day after the bust was thrown in the lake
118th Battalion North Waterloo battalion created in fall,
1915 recruits mostly British descent
numbers fall short of full strength frustrations taken out on young men,
German community
Marching in Victoria Park
Parading down King Street in Waterloo
led by Sergaent-Major Granville Blood: “Once again, be British. Do your duty or be
despised. … Be British or be damned.”
bully tactics used against “slackers” police do/can do little: constable’s jaw broken Galt Reporter: “Are these the Methods of the
Kaiser’s Berlin or Berlin, Ontario?”
Berlin begins process of changing its name in February, 1916 plebiscite called for May 19th
Berlin Name-change Plebiscite yes/no vote campaign increases tensions in the city,
leading to several more incidents: 118th soldiers break into Concordia Club,
possibly steal Kaiser’s bust steal and destroy German memorabilia; burn it
on King Street mystery as to where bust went
“The Concordia Club, supposed to be a singing organization, was in reality a strong German club with a large membership of young men. … It was an organization to foster and maintain a strong German spirit and love for the Fatherland.”
- conclusion of military investigation
Major Blood leads attack on Reverend C. R. Tappert of St. Matthews Church, on March 4th, 1916
break into his home, beaten, dragged through streets by horses
Blood and one soldier charged; given suspended sentence
New York Times, March 9th, 1916
118th marches in downtown Berlin
Two Votes: May 19th
YES: British League, Telegraph
NO: Citizens’ League, News Record
3,057 votes cast; YES wins by 81 votes voter intimidation likely
reduced No vote Jacob Kaufman and
August Lang attacked by soldiers on victory night
second vote to choose a name
citizens asked for suggestions:
Two Votes: June 9th
group of 99 citizens choose final 6 names: Hydro City Dunard Huronto Renowa Agnoleo (name of locally-ground flour) Bercana
briefly contemplate merger with Waterloo
final list of 6 chosen by city council:
Adanac Benton Brock Corona Keowana Kitchener
name of Lord Kitchener added at last minute by council after death on June 5th
The Results
voting began around June 9th
1055 people voted 163 spoiled ballots 346 for Kitchener Brock second with 335 News Record’s summary: “The outstanding
feature (of the vote) was the absolute indifference displayed by the ratepayers.”
Berlin officially changed to Kitchener on September 1, 1916
Long-term Significance Berlin/Kitchener begins to de-emphasize
its German character names of people, businesses changed
Schmidt to Smith, Braun to Brown Doerr Biscuits to Dare
shows the power of the war to divide communities, create animosity
Sources
KPL, Online Photograph Collection WPL, Online Photograph Collection English and McLaughlin, Kitchener: An
Illustrated History Hayes, Waterloo County: An Illustrated
History New York Times, Online Archives Library and Archives Canada
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