Berlin, Ontario, changed its name to Kitchener

 

From today's featured article

Ballot to select a new city name

Berlin, Ontario, changed its name to Kitchener by referendum in May

 and June 1916. Named in 1833 after the capital of Prussia and later the German Empire, Berlin was heavily German-Canadian, and its

 residents enjoyed a blend of British and German culture. The name Berlin

 became unsavoury for residents after Great Britain and Canada's entry into the First World War, as German Canadians experienced

 increasing anti-German sentiment. In a vote characterized

 by intimidation and high voter turnout, the 19 May 1916 referendum on changing the name narrowly

 passed; a second vote to choose the new name saw low turnout. The vote settled on Kitchener, named

 for British field marshal War Secretary Lord Kitchener. The city was officially renamed on

 1 September 1916. After the war, the city experienced a decline in its German culture with German

 Canadians being culturally assimilated into the broader Canadian identity. (Full article...)

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