German town debates changing name of Anne Frank childcare center

Debate is heating up in Germany over a proposed name change for a childcare facility named after Anne Frank, the Jewish girl whose diary told the world the story of how her family hid from the Nazis in the 1940s. Discussions about changing the name of the Anne Frank daycare center in the town of Tangerütte began in early 2023, according to local officials. The Israel-Hamas war and a growing awareness of creeping anti-Semitism in Germany have brought attention to the community.

While no formal decision has been made, the town of Tangerütte, home of the daycare center, said in a statement that talks of changing the name to “World Explorer” began earlier this year to be more diverse as the center undergoes a concept change.

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“Far before the current discussions and events, the discussion has already arisen at the beginning of 2023 to make this fundamental change of conception visible to the outside world through a different name of the institution in order to mark this fundamental new beginning visibly,” a translated statement read in part.

German media outlets report that migrant parents and employees at the daycare center pushing for the name change said that it is difficult for the children and their families to understand and relate to Anne Frank’s story and that the name “World Explorer” is more child-friendly.

“We wanted something without a political background,” the daycare’s manager, Linda Schichor, told the media.

Tangerütte Mayor Andreas Brohm said the town wanted to find something “that has a more positive connotation, not because Anne Frank has a negative connotation, but because people associate what they associate with it and with the daycare center concept.”

Wind of the possible name change has some local leaders and Jewish rights groups outraged, with one council member calling the possible name change “completely absurd, instinctive, and small-minded.” Discussions of the name change flew under the radar until recently, particularly as the world watches the Israel-Hamas war unfold.

According to a German think tank, the country has seen a rise in anti-Semitism since Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel that resulted in 1,400 deaths.

The daycare center has been named after Anne Frank since its inception in the early 1970s, and while a final decision has not been made, the mayor said parents’ and employees’ desire for a name that better reflects the new school concept outweighs global political considerations.