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Paper short abstract

This contribution addresses the controversy surrounding the renaming of the ‚Deutsche Gesellschaft für Völkerkunde‘. The debate focused on finding the most appropriate name for the association and, in some cases, for the discipline itself.

Paper long abstract

This contribution addresses the controversy surrounding the renaming of the professional association in Germany. The debate focused on finding the most appropriate name for the association and, in some cases, for the discipline itself.

In autumn 2017, a decision was reached in Berlin to rename the ‚Deutsche Gesellschaft für Völkerkunde‘. A slim majority of attending members voted in favour of the new designation, ‘Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie’. Following the vote, discussions intensified regarding the proposed names and the respective meanings. At times, the debate was extremely controversial and intensely heated.

This paper reviews previous name changes and renaming efforts within the association, analysing the various motivations and arguments presented for and against the different options in 2017 and immediately after the renaming. Divergent viewpoints are revealed, particularly regarding how the approach should be reflected in the association’s name and how to address the discipline’s history: some advocated for renaming as a way to distance the field from its past, others criticized the lack of thorough engagement with the history of anthropology prior to the decision. There were also discrepancies regarding international orientation, its meaning and to what extent it can be expressed in the name.

Finally, the renaming process itself is critically assessed, and a comparison is made with the 2021 renaming of the ‘Deutsche Gesellschaft für Volkskunde’ (German Folklore Society).