His recognizable profile can be found here everywhere – on the facades of buildings, wrought-iron grills, cast iron manholes and drains, not to mention tourist Souvenirs. He proudly tells the story section on the official website of Coburg. So would Mauritius and then quietly guarding the peace of the city, if not the two ladies from Berlin, who spotted his African appearance… “racism”. According to Deutsche Welle, they launched an online petition demanding nothing less than to change the coat of arms. However, the residents of Coburg stood up for his “moor” the mountain.
In modern “design” coat of arms was designed in the 1950-ies. According to activists for racial equality Juliana Reuter and Alisa Archie, “exaggerated features” – plump lips, curly hair and big Creole earring – create a stereotypical image, forcing people from the African continent to feel “slighted”. “Looks like the girls too much free time”, – noted skeptically in conversation with DW one of the residents of Coburg. The majority of her countrymen believe the same. Concerned citizens created the Internet “contritely” called “Coburg moor must stay, we save the cartridge of Coburg on the arms”. It was signed by more than 5,000 Bavarians, who moreover believe that Berlin it is not a decree.
“If I put someone on the emblem, it is not subjected to discrimination! On the contrary, I Express the respect! Saint Mauritius, in whose honor was named for a Church of St. Moritz, from the time of the Middle ages is inseparable from our coat of arms. With only one exception: in 1934, the part of the inhabitants led by the mayor of the Swedish – Germany’s first mayor-a member of the Nazi party, opposed the “moor” and removed it from the coat of arms, replacing the sword with a swastika on the handle. To this tradition you call? Or perhaps you’re just blinded by the mindless desire to bring happiness to the world with their perverted ideas, not having the slightest idea about the history?”, “Racism are not fighting a war of symbols, and through education. Looks like someone just wants to assert itself at the price of culture. The town emblem is our cultural value that belongs to the citizens”, “St. Mauritius belongs to Coburg. Point”, “Place of the black on the emblem is not racism. Racism to replace it with white. Get away from our culture” – these are just some of the comments to the petition in defense of the “moor”. Some remembered the Inquisition and burning of books.
Saint Mauritius the coat of arms of Coburg was the last got to someone persecutions under the banner of political correctness. Informed proactive citizens have demanded to rename the metro station “a Moorish street” in Berlin, the hotel “three Moors” in Augsburg and a lot of “Moorish pharmacies” throughout Germany. By the way, this old brand, which appeared in the XV century, is linked, according to one version, the image of the Magus Caspar. Thanks to its attribute – the vial of healing myrrh brought as a gift to the newborn Jesus, he was declared a national rumor healer. In the European tradition, Caspar was portrayed blacks – as well as St. Mauritius, who became the patron Saint of knights and dyers.
According to the Chronicles, Mauritius was a high-ranking Roman military commander, the commander of the Thebes Legion, who had served in one of the provinces of the Empire, in Upper Egypt. In 285, the Emperor Maximian of Hercule called him to quell the rebellion in southern Gaul. On the broad Alpine meadow soldiers were required to bring the Roman gods, but the Legion composed of Christians, refused. According to Roman law, which, as you know, worshiped the Emperor, the move was seen as treason. Mauritius was executed. But centuries later it turned into black because of its name (Mauritius), in tune with the ethnonym “the moor”.
In the Middle ages, “Moors” (mauri) called Berbers and the Arab-Muslims of the Pyrenees and northwestern Africa. Even before the Romans took it is derived from the Greek mauros (dark) indigenous Mauretania (the so-called historical region in the North-West of the African continent). According to the author of the petition in protection of the emblem Tobias Schmidt, already in the 8th century word mor POPs up in old German language and its Central dialect. From there it migrated in modern German (Mohr). So the word “moor” looks today certainly outdated and archaic, but certainly has nothing to do with racist or colonial manners. On coins and silver seals Coburg image of a black Saint can be found already in the 13th century – long before the Old world began colonial expansion. “For 800 years the Coburg honor of his patron, presenting it to the whole world on your arms. This veneration for nothing is impossible to cancel due to a hasty desire to part with all that can be taken for racism. It is impossible to bring the “Coburg moor” to sacrifice short-term trends time. To Coburg and its inhabitants who are proud of their history and various traditions, it is still something to sell their identity to snatch the heart of the city,” concludes the author of the petition. Here and cultural historian Hubertus of Hebel, who wrote works on the symbolism of Coburg, fully agree with him: it is strange to see racism and discrimination where it is about reverence and love.
