Stumbling blocks
It is a project against forgetting: 360 "Stumbling Stones" 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 stolpersteine(at)stadt-chemnitz.de or to the Chemnitz City Association of the VVN/BdA.
Stumbling Stones in Chemnitz
All Stumbling Stone Layings in Chemnitz
In Chemnitz, 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 in November 2005. The first six memorial stones were laid on 6 July 2007.
Stumbling stone laying on 20 September 2025
On Saturday 20 September, 30 new Stolpersteine were unveiled at twelve locations in Chemnitz.
The event kicked off at 9 a.m. with the ceremonial dedication of four Stolpersteine for the Jacoby family in front of Tietz, which took place in the presence of Gunter Demnig, artist and initiator of the worldwide project.
Verlegung am 20. September 2025
Previous Stumbling Stone Layings in Chemnitz
Brochure
The "Stumbling Stones in Chemnitz" brochure provides an overview of the laying of stumbling stones in the city, information on how to sponsor a stumbling stone and tells the life stories of exemplary Chemnitz citizens who were persecuted during the National Socialist era.
The brochure is available in printed form at the town hall.
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.