Erinnern - verdrängen - vergessen: Straßennamen in Bayreuth

Abstract

The street names of Bayreuth from the Middle Ages to present days are examined in the context of cultural history. Medieval street names reflect the mentality of the time, the way people viewed the reality of their town. In contrast to modern times, street names were always related to a distinctive feature that proved to be relevant to the people in everyday communication. Street names were not officially given, they were rather „found out', i.e. they emerged from a collective agreement among the users as to what was important for orientation, traffic or trade (Haupt Gaße 'Main Street', Marktgasse 'Market Street', Praytte gaß 'Broad Street', Ochsengasse, after a house owner). A new paradigm that has remained dominant until nowadays appears in the l8th century. Street names are no langer the result of collective perception. They are given by national or local authorities in order to honour distinguished persons (kings and princes, politicians, generals, poets, artists, composers, benefactors) or to remind people of relevant facts (e.g. military victories). Street names, also supported by their fixation in street signs, acquire a new dimension. They are intended to reinforce cultural memory as well as political propaganda. As a reaction to the strong ideologization during the Nazi regime, the street names given in Bayreuth after World War II show, in general, an unpolitical tendency. Numerous street names referring to Richard Wagner, his family and his works clearly reveal the significance of the famous composer for Bayreuth's cultural identity.