Stumbling blocks
It is a project against forgetting: 330 "Stolpersteine" have already given people in Chemnitz pause for thought. Embedded in the pavement, the memorial stones commemorate the tragic fates of fellow citizens who were persecuted, deported, murdered or driven to their deaths during the National Socialist regime. Small 10 x 10 cm brass plaques on the stones provide information about the names and most important dates in the lives of these people and mark their last places of residence or work.
The "Stumbling Stones" project
The "Stolpersteine" project goes back to the Cologne artist Gunter Demnig. He conceived the "Stolpersteine" in 1993 and was able to lay the first memorial stones in Cologne just one year later.
There are now over 43,500 "Stolpersteine" in more than 1,000 places in Germany and Europe in memory of the victims.
One of the aims is to give the victims of the National Socialist regime, who were degraded to numbers in the concentration camps, their names back. Bending down to read the texts on the Stumbling Stones is also intended as a symbolic bow to the victims.
Gunter Demnig, who has been honoured many times for his project, received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Jewish History Award from the Obermayer Foundation in 2005.
Become a sponsor
The Stumbling Stones are financed by sponsors. The city of Chemnitz is responsible for the civil engineering work and organisational services.
Any citizen can sponsor the construction and laying of a stumbling stone for 120 euros. Please send enquiries directly to the Chemnitz City Association of the VVN/BdA, Rosenplatz 4, 09126 Chemnitz, e-mail.
Stumbling stone laying on 29 May 2024
On 29 May, a further 23 stones were laid at eleven locations in Chemnitz. For the first time, Stumbling Stones were also laid for Sinti and Roma, who were also systematically persecuted and murdered during the Nazi regime. Relatives from Germany and abroad were present at the layings, including from the USA and New Zealand.
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All Stumbling Stones in Chemnitz
In November 2005, the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime - League of Anti-Fascists Chemnitz VVN/BdA took the initiative to lay Stumbling Stones in the city of Chemnitz. The first six memorial stones were laid on 6 July 2007.
Previous Stumbling Stones laid in Chemnitz:
Project organiser
The VVN/BdA is the sponsor of the project and is responsible for the content of the work, contact for suggestions of people to be honoured and looks after the sponsors.
The organisational preparations and the laying of the memorial stones are coordinated by a project group of the city administration under the patronage of Lord Mayor Sven Schulze.