Hamburg Day 14 (29 July)

Just wanted to record something we saw in Lubeck and forgot to record yesterday.  Walking around the old city Stephen stumbled over some bronze plaques set in paving stones outside a house.  They each recorded the name, date of birth and date and place of death of a quite obviously Jewish family who died in WWII in Auschwitz.  Didn't think much of it until got back to hotel and inadvertently came across information on what are "stumbling stones" (Stolperstein).  The Stolpersteine project, initiated by the German artist Gunter Demnig in 1992, aims to commemorate individuals at exactly the last place of residency—or, sometimes, work—which was freely chosen by the person before he or she fell victim to Nazi terror, euthanasia, eugenics, was deported to a concentration or extermination camp, or escaped persecution by emigration or suicide. As of 23 October 2018, 70,000 Stolpersteine have been laid making the Stolpersteineproject the world's largest decentralized memorial. Yep I copied and pasted that so I don't forget.  These plaques are now all around Europe. 

The name of the Stolpersteine project invokes multiple allusions: In Nazi Germany, an antisemitic saying, when accidentally stumbling over a protruding stone, was: "A Jew must be buried here". In a metaphorical sense, the German term Stolperstein can mean "potential problem". The term "to stumble across something", in German and English, can also mean "to find out (by chance)".  (Which is of course what we did in Lubeck).  Thus, the term  invokes an antisemitic remark of the past, but at the same time intends to provoke thoughts about a serious issue. Stolpersteine are not placed prominently, but are rather discovered by chance, only recognizable when passing by at close distance. In contrast to central memorial places, which according to Demnig can be easily avoided or bypassed, Stolpersteine represent a much deeper intrusion of memory into everyday life.

Stolpersteine are placed right into the pavement. When Jewish cemeteries were destroyed throughout Nazi Germany, the gravestones were often repurposed as sidewalk paving stones. The desecration of the memory of the dead was implicitly intended, as people had to walk on the gravestones and tread on the inscriptions. The Stolpersteine  hint at this act of desecration, as they lack any kind of defense against new acts of shame. While the art project thus intends to keep alive the memory, implying that improper acts could easily happen again, the intentional lack of defense against potential desecration also created criticism and concern. Some German cities like Munich still do not accept the setting of Stolpersteine, and look for alternative ways of commemoration instead.  

In Munich apparently they are worried that victims would be upset by the notion of people trampling on their names like the Nazis trampled on them.  Not sure I buy that one.

Anyway we were both quite taken by this, particularly as it is one private individual who started this project and has kept it going.  Given how ghastly many Governments are these days, nice to see communities and individuals picking up the slack. Quite moving and effective memorial we thought, when you are standing outside a house where these people actually lived.  Good reminder for the respective neighbourhoods as well .