Germany's Hamburg urged to rename as "Veggieburg"
Date: 30-Apr-03
Country: GERMANY
Author: Dave Graham
"Hamburg could promote animal welfare and court sympathy for animals by changing its name to Veggieburg," the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wrote in a letter sent to Hamburg Mayor Ole von Beust this week.
The German chapter of PETA, which claims 750,000 members worldwide, said the organisation would give Hamburg's childcare facilities 10,000 euros worth of vegetarian burgers if the city changed its name.
But city officials in Hamburg, Germany's second largest city which traces its roots back to the ninth century, were unmoved.
"I cannot afford to waste my time with this. I don't even want to look at nonsense like this," said Klaus May, a city government spokesman. "But that doesn't mean we Hamburgers don't have a sense of humour."
In its letter, PETA said the name Hamburg conjured up images of "unhealthy beef patties made of pulverised dead cattle.
"Millions of people fall ill each year with fatal ailments like heart disease, cancer, strokes and diabetes from eating hamburgers," PETA said in the letter obtained by Reuters.
The original "hamburger steak", a dish made of ground beef, travelled west with German migrants to the United States in the 19th century.
The first mention of "hamburgers" appeared on a menu in a New York restaurant in 1834. Some historians trace its origins to a minced beef sandwich once popular with sailors in Hamburg.
The city name "Hamburg" comes from the old Saxon words "ham" (bay) and "burg" (fortress).
PETA recently made a similar offer to the U.S. town of Hamburg, New York. But their $15,000 bid was rejected.
