I’ve long been interested in Germany’s remembrance and commemoration of the Holocaust, one of the most poignant forms of which, are (at least in my view) Stolpersteine. I’ve been meaning to write about the monuments for some time now, particularly since I found a pair outside the building I’m currently living in.
Hermann Jelken, Bremen
Stolpersteine are simple, cobble-sized plaques laid outside the former homes of victims of the Holocaust. Though most commemorate murdered Jews, there are also Stolpersteine dedicated to other victims of the Nazi regime. The plaques normally record very basic information: the name, date of birth and fate of a person – including when and where they perished.
Though they are now found in practically every German city, as well as across Europe, they are surprisingly easy to miss. But once you know what you are looking for, the sheer volume of Stolpersteine is staggering – you can find them everywhere.
In my opinion, the sheer abundance of Stolpersteine is what makes them so significant. They go a long way to show how Nazi ideology pervaded every village, town and city in most of Europe – they show victims on every street. Poignantly, in place of an extravagant monolith, you have a series of very subtle stones which each represent a lost life – a constant reminder of the huge scale of loss the Holocaust embodies.
Rudolf & Martha Müller, Leipzig
Living in Germany, Stolpersteine are something you can’t ignore – I’ve come across them in every city I’ve visited here and I keep noticing new ones on my way to work, despite walking the same route twice a day for almost four weeks.
While I think it would be inappropriate to take any joy from Stolpersteine, or to label any form of commemoration as ‘better’ than another, I do think that these tiny little stones are a very effective means to show the huge reach of the Nazi regime into everyday life. Furthermore, they serve as a constant reminder of what happened here in Europe – the effects of which can still be seen today.