Tempelhof-Schöneberg: Neue Straße honors artist Ottilie Ehlers-Kollwitz!

Tempelhof-Schöneberg: Neue Straße honors artist Ottilie Ehlers-Kollwitz!

In the Tempelhof-Schöneberg district, a new perspective is opening up for the appreciation of female personalities in public spaces. Today, on October 21, 2025, a significant decision was made: Street 40 in Lichtenrade will be renamed Ottilie-Ehlers-Kollwitz-Straße. This decision, which was made at the request of the district council, is an example of a comprehensive reform. Currently, less than 4 percent of the streets in Tempelhof-Schöneberg are named after women, which illustrates the long history of the invisibility of female achievements. Berlin.de reports that this is one of the district office's goals: a long-term process of renaming and renaming streets, squares and green spaces to give women more visibility in public spaces.

Ottilie Ehlers-Kollwitz was a remarkable artist, illustrator and graphic designer who not only had a close connection to Käthe Kollwitz, but also lived in Lichtenrade. She lived with her husband, Hans Kollwitz, on Franziusweg until her death. Her talented work, which included hand-colored woodcuts and etchings, was forgotten after her death in 1963. It was only through a exhibition in 2010 that her works were made accessible to a wider audience again. Thanks to a proposal from the SPD and the Greens to name public spaces after protagonists in German history, her work is now receiving the appreciation it deserves. The SPD faction emphasizes that this measure is intended to make women's achievements visible.

The context of street naming

The decision to rename is part of a larger social change. For historical reasons, women are often underrepresented in public spaces. This fact is also reflected in the street names, which are often masculine. In Munich

Naming streets is not only a way to honor special life achievements, but also a form of identity creation for the residents of a community. Dr. Andreas Heusler from the Munich City Archives points to the need to achieve a balanced distribution of women's and men's names in order to promote public perception and historical awareness. The recognition and visibility of women in public spaces thus contribute to the creation of a fairer and more inclusive cityscape.