Munich commemorates: 56 new stumbling blocks laid for Jewish victims!

Munich commemorates: 56 new stumbling blocks laid for Jewish victims!

Sunday brought a significant moment for the culture of remembrance in Munich. Yesterday, 56 new stumbling blocks were laid near the main train station, commemorating Jewish citizens who were expelled or deported during National Socialism. This laying action is not just a simple gesture, it represents the largest installation of stumbling blocks in the history of the Stolpersteine ​​for Munich initiative. The blocks are set in three rows in front of the house number 23 on Goethestrasse, which once served as a “refuge house”. Terry Swartzberg, the initiative's executive director, explained that the building was owned by a Jewish family in the 1930s and continued to serve as a shelter for many Jews after it was sold to the Niedermaier family in 1939. This explains why so many stumbling blocks were laid here. There are currently a total of 423 stumbling blocks in Munich, and by the end of the summer there should be 500, which positions the city as one of the main places for this form of commemoration.

A small ceremony accompanied the installation, attended by around 60 people. Inez Rattan, a board member of the association, recalled that during the time of National Socialism, Jewish fellow citizens were “no longer given names,” only numbers. The aim of the stumbling blocks is to give the victims back their dignity and identity. Despite the positive feedback, the project is not without controversy. Charlotte Knobloch, the president of the Jewish Community in Munich, is skeptical and describes the stumbling blocks as disrespectful. The city council had already banned the laying of stumbling blocks on city property in 2004.

Resistance and support

The Stumbling Blocks for Munich initiative. V. uses creative ways to relocate the memorial stones on private property and has now prepared 210 additional stones for future victims. There have also recently been similar events in other parts of Munich, such as Schwabing, where stumbling blocks were laid for other victims, including Amalie and Joseph Schuster, who died in Theresienstadt in 1943 and 1944. Here, representatives of the Liberal Jewish Community spoke Kaddish to express their grief. However, the relocation is legally controversial because the city council rejected a lawsuit that demanded approval for stumbling blocks on public building land.

The artist Gunter Demnig, who brought the idea of ​​the Stolpersteine ​​to life, carries out the burials. Since the first stone was laid in Cologne 27 years ago, around 70,000 stumbling blocks have been created around the world, which serve as decentralized memorials to the victims of National Socialism. These small but significant memorial markers consist of a brass table that bears information about each victim, including name, year of birth, date of deportation and cause of death. The approach is intended to bring the memory of the victims back into people's everyday lives - school classes often made the connection to the victims' stories and thus created a personal engagement with history.

A cultural debate

The debate about the stumbling blocks is part of a larger discussion about the culture of remembrance in Germany. While some see them as a worthy form of commemoration, others criticize that the stones could be disrespected or that the victims' names are trampled on. Charlotte Knobloch sees the stumbling blocks as a lack of respect for the victims and argues that other forms of remembrance would be more appropriate. Despite these different perspectives, the initiative also offers space for alternative approaches to commemoration that are considered valuable by various sides, for example for the victims of euthanasia.

Overall, dealing with historical responsibility is a sensitive issue that requires great attention both in politics and in society. The stumbling blocks, as part of this discussion, concretize the memory of the victims and promote active remembrance. As the initiatives listed show, the will to come to terms with and commemorate lives on, even if opinions differ about the right path.

For more information about the Stolpersteine ​​in Munich you can read the articles from South German newspaper, taz and Deutschlandfunk read.