Kassel Christmas market: Lumumba drink canceled due to ban on racism!

Kassel Christmas market: Lumumba drink canceled due to ban on racism!

This year, the Christmas market in Kassel is dominated by a controversial topic that stirs many minds. Kassel Marketing has decided that the drink “Lumumba”, a cocoa drink with rum, can no longer be sold. This measure is the result of critical voices who consider the name to be racist because it is reminiscent of the Congolese freedom fighter Patrice Lumumba. A spokeswoman for the company emphasizes that the Christmas market should be a place of welcome and respect for all visitors. This follows previous recommendations from the city of Frankfurt, which took a similar step last year advising stand operators to stop using the name. Reaction to the decision has been mixed, with some stall operators expressing anger but, following an email from Kassel Marketing, had to change their product name to forestall possible exclusions from the market.

Patrice Lumumba, Congo's first prime minister after independence from Belgium, was the victim of a coup in 1960 at the age of just 35 and was later extrajudicially executed. Critics see the use of his name for an alcoholic drink as a mockery of his legacy and tragic history. Kassel Marketing emphasizes that racism in any form is not tolerated and that this is also reflected in the terms and conditions for the stand operators' lease agreements. In other cities, such as Frankfurt and Mainz, it has already become established to sell the drink under a non-problematic name, such as “Cocoa with Shot”.

The changes at the Kassel Christmas market

What is particularly striking is the renaming of the drink by the operator of Rupperts Almhütte, who now uses “Lamumba”. However, he expresses incomprehension about the public outcry, as the name was originally adopted from Spain. The discussion over drink names also raises larger questions about public symbols and their meanings. Critics want such names not to be used lightly, especially when they are linked to such a tragic story.

Kassel Marketing's decision is just one part of a larger social change that has gained momentum in recent years. The discussion of controversies regarding monuments and public place names, which are also discussed in public, shows the importance of coming to terms with one's own history. These debates are not only relevant in Germany, but can also be observed internationally, for example in Geneva, where monuments associated with racism, colonialism or slavery are being scrutinized. Dealing with such issues requires a clear vision and public policy to deal with controversial symbols and their meanings. HNA reports that the stand operators have so far complied with the request to rename it in order to preserve the valuable space as a respectful and inviting space for all visitors.

Given the controversy that has arisen around the drink and the name, the Kassel Christmas market will remain a place of exchange and discussion this season as the city continues to stand behind the message that racism has no place.