Gothenburg Central Station is to be extended. Now the debate about the name of the upcoming building has taken off – since the architectural firm behind the project chose to call it "Gothenburg Grand Central".
Sometimes I think one is stupid if one tries to be too international, says Lars O Carlsson (M), vice chairman of the naming committee, to Gothenburg Post.
The newspaper's columnist Kristian Wedel joins in the criticism and writes that "the name is a sign that we have completely lost our self-confidence".
Eva Lindelöw Sjöö is the head of the place-name function at the Swedish Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authority, the authority in Sweden responsible for promoting good place-name practice.
One should take into account the rules set out in the Cultural Heritage Act regarding good place-name practice. This includes not having an English name, she says to the newspaper.
In true Gothenburg spirit, a number of other proposals have already emerged. Such as "Granncentralen", "Glenntralstationen" and "Rullevi".
The final word in the debate has not yet been said.
