On 1998-07-21, I had written:
> While [..] the official rule, clearly states that
> > when writing in capitals, "SS" is written [for lower-case "ß"], e. g.,
> > Straße -- STRASSE),
> there are plans to weaken this rule.
> [...] "Proposals for clarification and further development of the German
> spelling reform", thus:
> > 2. As, in capitalizing, the possible replacement of "ß" with "SS" does
> >    not appropriatly render the documentarily established spelling of
> >    proper names ("Grosse" vs. "Große"), the possibility will be em-
> >    phasized that "ß" may be written in this case ("GROßE"). This agrees
> >    with the previous usage (cf. Duden 1991, R 187).
> Currently, these proposed modifications of the official rules are not (yet)
> effective.

Meanwhile, one of the authors of the passage quoted above has written to me
to emphasize that this was not meant as a modification of the new official
rules; rather, it was meant as a reminder to a case not governed by the
spelling rules: generally, proper names are not covered by spelling rules;
they have to be faithfully reproduced as established in the registry.

Excerpt from that note:
: *Contrary to the official rule (Amtliches Regelwerk) and consequently
: not allowed are writings of sharp-S in the middle of capitalized  words
: like "MAßSTAB" or "STRAßE". Allowed is only the writing of sharp-S in the
: middle of capitalized documentary names - the exceptional case - like
: "GROßE" as for the distinction to "GROSSE".

Best wishes,
   Otto Stolz