Delmenhorst, Germany, renames street in honor of Mor Yuhanun D’Kfone

DELMENHORST, Germany — Mayor of Delmenhorst, Germany, Petra Gerlach (Christlich Demokratische Union, CDU) officially approved the renaming of Elsflether Street to Mor Johannes Street, following a request from the parishioners of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Yuhanun D’Kfone.

The renaming was initiated after parishioners appealed to the Church Council to approach the municipality with the request and cover the associated costs. Mor Julius Hanna Aydin, the head of Foreign Relations for the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese in Germany, supported the effort. Local Council Chairman Andrew Çelik facilitated meetings with members of various political parties in the city to gain their backing.

On 19 December, Murat Kalmiş, a member of the Free Democratic Party (Freie Demokratische Partei, FDP), and Syriac politician Skender Şen submitted the draft resolution to the municipality. After detailed discussions, the proposal received strong support from Mayor Petra Gerlach, CDU leader Christoph Ogunevsky, and FDP MP Deniz Kurko. The decision to rename the street was finalized shortly thereafter.

The Church Council and parishioners celebrated the news on 18 December and announced plans to hold an official street inauguration ceremony in May, coinciding with the feast of Mor Yuhanun D’Kfone.

This marks the second instance of a street being renamed in honor of a Syriac figure in Germany. In 2018, Harsewinkel Street in Gütersloh was renamed Mor Augeen Church Street, where the church is located.

The parish of Mor Yuhanun D’Kfone, which consists of 550 families, purchased the church land in 1989. The church was consecrated in 2001 by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka Iwas.