Stolperstein translates from German as ‘stumbling stone’ or ‘stumbling block’. It is a project created by German artist Gunter Demnig to memorialise the victims of the Nazi regime. They aren’t obvious and can easily be missed. The name ‘stumbling stone’ is incredibly apt as you literally stumble across these memorials.
The Stolperstein are small brass plates inscribed with the victims’ name, age and date/place of death at the hands of the Nazis.
I first heard of the Stolperstein when I was taking part in the walking tour round Prague when our tour guide stopped on the middle of the Jewish district and told us about them. I have been looking out for them when abroad ever since. Unfortunately they are a somewhat common sight around mainland Europe and I have stumbled across them in numerous cities abroad including Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Turin, Prague, Eindhoven and Brussels.
So far over 100,000 stumbling stones have been installed in over 22 countries and more than 1,200 towns/cities throughout Europe. It’s always been clear how far reaching the holocaust was. In a period of history where the Jews and other persecuted groups were treated as subhuman, the Memorial adds an element of personification into the victims. Showing where they lived, how old they were and where they were killed.
The Stolperstein are intentionally placed at a significant place for the victims they memorialise, somewhere they chose themselves; whether it was the last place they lived or work before being forced elsewhere.
I did not know about the Stolperstein until the waking tour in Prague – and if you didn’t hear of them before, you’ll now know to keep an eye out for them and the small stories they tell about the people they memorialise who died in the holocaust. Comment below if you’ve stumbled across any yourself.