The family company Dubler has been producing sweets in Waltenschwil AG since 1946 under the name “Mohrenkopf”. While other providers switched to names like chocolate kisses or foam kisses, the company stuck to it. Again and again there were protests because the name was racist.
In the wake of the current protests after the death of the African American George Floyd, the Migros Cooperative Zurich has now taken the Dubler product off the shelf. Company owner Robert Dubler is now reacting to the decision.
Mr. Dubler, the Migros Cooperative Zurich takes its candy from the shelf with the name “Mohrenkopf”. How do you find that?
Robert Dubler: If the Mohrenkopf is such a big problem, then we have forgotten something much more important. I look to Africa and see a continent with the most natural resources, but which is poor because we shit Africa every day. We did everything that is bad. That goes back hundreds of years. And now we have the godless imagination that if I change the name of the moor’s head, the problem will be solved. It’s wrong.
It may be that there is a bigger problem, but many people are bothered by the term “Mohrenkopf”. People with dark skin tones feel degraded.
I do not think so. In the context of how I use the word, it’s positive. I do something that I feel is very good. The moor’s head is of high quality. I don’t use a second-class name for that.
Dark-skinned schoolchildren are teased as “Moors’ heads” in school playgrounds. What do you think
You can’t blame the sweetness when people plague each other. When the children in the school yard no longer say “Mohrenkopf”, they just say “Schoggikopf”. Changing the name of our Mohrenkopf does not change anything.
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—-Sweet and controversial: “Mohrenkenken” by Dubler from Waltenswil AG.
© Gaetan Bally / KEYSTONE
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They care about Africa, as they say. What are you doing about the bigger problem: the exploitation of Africa.
I have been buying from the same retailer for 25 years, from whom I have the impression that he is paying a fairly decent price for the cocoa. Unfortunately, however, really fair trade is not possible in current capitalism. The so-called fair trade labels don’t help either. Unfortunately, it is not the one who pays the fairest wages and prices that survives, but the one who makes the most profit. Take a look at the Migros that is now banishing my moor heads. They also don’t pay farmers a decent price for milk and vegetables.
But they can already determine which products they use to produce.
I do that too. For example, I only buy free-range eggs. Unfortunately, my small factory does not count with the four million sales that I make. As far as possible, I try to be fair.
Why stick to the name “Mohrenkopf” when it would be so easy to change that and your product would still be good.
Look. I don’t mind if the Mohrenkopf triggers discussions. I think it’s good to have racism discussed. But the world is no less racist if I change the name.
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