Waterloo Region Museum: City on Edge | Waterloo Centre for German Studies

Barracks in Kitchener, with men getting dressed into military uniforms, 1910s.

Learn how a city was pushed to the edge during the First World War - to the point of changing its name from Berlin to Kitchener through a controversial and high-tension referendum.

Berlin, Ontario - and much of surrounding Waterloo County - was the centre of German culture in Canada in the early 1900s. From the start of the First World War in 1914, residents of the city were questioned for their loyalty to King, country and the allied war effort in Europe.

Created by the Waterloo Region Museum, the exhibit tells the story of how and why the city of Berlin changed its name to Kitchener on September 1, 1916. This year marks the 100th anniversary of that name change.

Location Information

Location Address: The Waterloo Region Museum
10 Huron Rd.
Kitchener, ON, CA N2P 2R7

Additional Information

Host: The Waterloo Region Museum Cost: Adult - $10; Senior & student - $8; Children ages 5 to 12 - $5; Children ages 4 & under - Free; Family (2 adults & dependent children) - $25 (rates plus HST)