Google maps renames street after Adolf Hitler

Google Maps reportedly renamed Berlin street Theodor Heuss Platz “Adolf Hitler Platz” in an apparently brief blunder, which wasn’t brief enough to escape the public eye. NBC News picked up on the story (h/t: Amy Gesenhues), and shares a statement from the company: “We were made aware of a wrong and inappropriate Berlin street name on Google Maps and have corrected this as quickly as possible. We apologize for this error.” While certainly a screw-up, it’s not quite as insane as it sounds. The street was actually named Adolf Hitler Platz during Hitler’s reign. It was originally called Reichskanzlerplatz, and took that name again in 1945 before being renamed after president Theodor Heuss in 1963. Google told Germany’s BZ (in German) that it was investigating the error, and as NBC notes, some have suggested it was an error caused by Map Maker, which lets users add content.