Stolpersteine
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Stolpersteine (German for "stumbling block") is a project of the artist Gunter Demnig. These memorials are supposed to remind of the people deported and killed by the Nazis.
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[edit] "Here lived"
Schools, relatives, and various organizationsinvestigate facts about people, who were deported or persecuted during the regime of Nazi Germany. The databank of Yad Vashem, Jerusalem provides more information.
Once the investigation work has been done, Demnig manufactures a concrete cube of 10 cm/ 4 in, which he covers with a sheet of brass. Then he adds the writing “Hier wohnte” (Here lived), the name, year of birth and the fate: mostly the date of deportation or death. The Stolperstein is then put down flush in the pavement/sidewalk in front of the last residence of the victim.
The financial requirements are covered by donations, collections, individual citizens, contemporary witnesses, school classes, or communities. One Stolperstein costs €95.
[edit] First Stolpersteine
After Demnig had the idea in 1993, the first exhibition took place in 1994 in Cologne. The then priest of the Antoniter church encouraged the project. In 1995 Demnig began to cStolpersteine on trial without approval in Cologne, then in Berlin-Kreuzberg. In 1996 he set out 55 Stolpersteine in Berlin within the scope of the project “artists investigate after Auschwitz”. 1997 he put down the first two Stolpersteine for Jehovah's Witnesses in St. Georgen near Salzburg, Austria on the suggestion of the cultural initiative KNIE and Austrian Service Abroad. Four years later, he received permission to put up 600 more Stolpersteine in Cologne.
[edit] Germany
In Berlin there are about 1,400 Stolpersteine.
In Düren the first Stolpersteine were put down on June 26, 2005.
In Frankfurt (Oder) the first seven Stolpersteine were put down on May 8, 2006.
In Hamburg there are (as of October 2006) 1,600 Stolpersteine in front of former residences or in the case of the homeless homosexuals in front of the accommodation for the night (Pik As), which were initiated by district‘s and victim’s initiatives. There’s another stumbling block in commemoration of a former senator, 15 paces to the right of the entrance of Hamburg’s town hall. Many papers report about the project and expand the investigations. Between 1941 and 1945 10.000 Jews were departed from Hamburg.
By the beginning of 2005, 1,400 Stolpersteine had been put down in Cologne
In Konstanz experiences in Freiburg were taken into account. After discussions, teams of interested citizens, who investigated fates of victims, were established and cooperated with municipal authorities. Donors were found through reports in newspapers. The first three Gedenksteine were put down in September 2006 for a Jewish, a euthanasia and a political victim.
In Leipzig there are also quite a lot of Stolpersteine, for instance in Alexanderstraße.
In Überlingen a book about a persecuted family was the foundation for three Stolpersteine, which were put down in front of the building authorities.
[edit] Austria
Since 2005 Vienna has participated in Demnig’s project. Till now Stolpersteine were put down in the second district (Leopoldstadt) around Volkertplatz. A „path of commemoration“ with additional material all over the second discrict is planned and partially supported by the city of Vienna.
In the Upper Austrian city of Braunau am Inn, the birthplace of Adolf Hitler, four Stolpersteine were put down on August 11, 2006.
[edit] 9,000 Stolpersteine
As of October 2006, Gunter Demnig had put down more than 9,000 Stolpersteine in more than 186 cities. He expanded his project beyond the borders of Germany to Austria, Italy and the Netherlands. Some Gedenksteine were scheduled to be put down in Poland on September 1, 2006, but this did not take place because permission was withdrawn. In June 2007 the first Stolpersteine will be put down in Hungary.
[edit] Critical responses
In some cities, such as Munich, the Stolpersteine were rejected politically. In other cities a more or less long discussion preceded the permission. For example, the city of Krefeld claimed, together with the Jewish community, that the names of the victims were constantly kicked. Finally, a compromise was made: if the owner of the houses and the relatives of the victims agreed, the Stolpersteine could be put down.
Also some house owners were against Stolpersteine in front of their houses, because they were afraid of the depreciation and didn’t want to be reminded of the atrocities committed by Nazis every day. In one case in Cologne, a Stolperstein was moved to the edge of the street.
[edit] Reactions of passersby
People’s attention is drawn towards the Stolpersteine by reports in newspapers and their personal experience. Their thoughts are directed towards the victims.
[edit] Literature
- Kurt Walter und AG Spurensuche: "Stolpersteine in Duisburg". Herausgeber: Ev. Kirchenkreis Duisburg/ Ev. Familienbildungswerk, Duisburg 2005, ISBN 3-00017-730-2
- Marlis Meckel: "Den Opfern ihre Namen zurückgeben. Stolpersteine in Freiburg", Rombach Verlag, Freiburg 2006,ISBN 3-79305-018-1
- Beate Meyer (Hrsg.): "Die Verfolgung und Ermordung der Hamburger Juden 1933-1945. Geschichte, Zeugnis, Erinnerung." Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung, Hamburg, 2006. (also: list of names and of the location of stumbling blocks in Hamburg up to 2006)
- Kirsten Serup-Bilfeldt: "Stolpersteine. Vergessene Namen, verwehte Spuren. Wegweiser zu Kölner Schicksalen in der NS-Zeit", Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 2003, ISBN 3-46203-535-5
- Oswald Burger/ Hansjörg Straub: "Die Levingers. Eine Familie in Überlingen." Eggingen 2002, ISBN 3-86142-117-8
[edit] Film
A documentary report was shot by Dörte Franke.
[edit] Weblinks
- Stumbling Blocks in Hamburg > getting around > interesting facts > The Stumbling Blocks
- Gunter Demnig and the Stumbling Blocks
- Gunter Demnig’s homepage
- A report of the Goethe institute (german)
- Stolperstein article at Shoa.de (german)
