The Nachtigalplatz is located in the so-called Afrikanisches Viertel (african quarter). and separates the Petersallee into two sections. In 1910, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the death of its namesake, the central square of the Afrikanisches Viertel was named after the African explorer Gustav Nachtigal (1834 – 1885).

In his function as a Reichskommissar for West Africa, Nachtigal legitimized the land rights fraudulently acquired by Adolf Lüderitz in Angra Pequena/Lüderitz Bay. After Nachtigal raised the flag on July 5, 1884, Togo was considered the German “model colony” in Africa. As a pioneer of German colonialism, he shares responsibility for its crimes.

Status of the Renaming

The Nachtigalplatz will be renamed into Manga-Bell-Square due to the decision of the District Assembly of Mitte in April 2018. Rudolf Duala Manga Bell (1873 – 1914 ) was king of the Duala people in Cameroon and was executed by the German colonial administration on August 8, 1914.

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