German city temporarily renames itself after Taylor Swift

By Alvin Wu
Foreign Affairs
German city temporarily renames itself after Taylor Swift

Local Swifties Maylia and Aleshanee Westhoff present the first Swiftkirchen sign on the street Ebertstraße on July 2. CITY OF GELSENKIRCHEN/Handout

July 9 (ZFJ) — Gelsenkirchen has temporarily renamed itself to Swiftkirchen ahead of Taylor Swift’s concerts there, announced the German city on July 2.

Swift will be performing in three concerts at the VELTINS-Arena from July 17-19 as part of her Eras Tour.

Local Swiftie Aleshanee Westhoff of Emmerich started a petition for this change, which Mayor Karin Welge thought was “a great idea.”

The Swiftkirchen sign. CITY OF GELSENKIRCHEN/Handout The Swiftkirchen sign. CITY OF GELSENKIRCHEN/Handout

Westhoff installed the first symbolic sign marking the entrance to Swiftkirchen on the street Ebertstraße on July 2.

“Today is the starting signal. We will be installing many more signs in highly frequented places in Gelsenkirchen in the coming days,” said Markus Schwartdmann, head of the city’s public relations department (translated by Google Translate).

The city has begun service of a “Taylor Swift tram” from Bogestra.

Other plans for Gelsenkirchen’s transformation into “Taylor Town” include many more Taylor Swift decorations, a specially-colored stone for the pop superstar in the Walk of Fame for at least the duration of her visit, and a large open-air Taylor Swift party.

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