Munich commemorates: 56 new stumbling blocks for Jewish victims!

Munich commemorates: 56 new stumbling blocks for Jewish victims!

Goethestraße 23, 80336 München, Deutschland - Sunday brought a significant moment for the culture of remembrance in Munich. Near the main station, 56 new stumbling blocks were laid yesterday, reminiscent of Jewish citizens who were sold or deported during National Socialism. This laying campaign is not just a simple gesture, it represents the largest installation of stumbling blocks in the history of the Stumbling Stones initiative for Munich. The cuboids are embedded in three rows in front of the house with number 23 in Goethestrasse, which once served as a "refuge". Terry Swartzberg, the board of the initiative, said that the building was in the possession of a Jewish family in the 1930s and served many Jews as shelter in 1939 even after the sale to the Niedermaier family. This explains why so many stumbling blocks were laid here. There are currently a total of 423 stumbling blocks in Munich, and until the end of summer there should be 500, which the city positions as one of the main places for this form of commemoration.

A small ceremony accompanied the installation, in which around 60 people took part. Inez Rattan, a board member of the association, recalled that the Jewish fellow citizens were "no longer given names" at the time of National Socialism, but only numbers. With the stumbling blocks, they want to give their dignity and identity back to the victims. Despite the positive feedback, the project is not without controversy. Charlotte Knobloch, the president of the Israelite cultural community in Munich, expresses itself skeptical and describes the stumbling blocks as disrespectful. The city council had already prohibited the laying of stumbling blocks on urban ground in 2004.

resistance and support

The initiative Stumbling Stones for Munich e. V. uses creative paths to lay the memorial stones on private ground, and has now prepared 210 other stones for future victims. In other parts of Munich, as in Schwabing, there were recently similar events in which 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 of Kaddisch spoke to express their grief. However, the relocation is legally controversial because the city council has rejected a lawsuit that demanded an approval for stumbling blocks on public building land.

The artist Gunter Demnig, who launched the idea of ​​the stumbling blocks, carries out the burials. Since his first stone in Cologne 27 years ago, around 70,000 stumbling blocks have been created worldwide, which act as decentralized monuments for the victims of National Socialism. These small but significant commemorative signs consist of a brass table that has information about the respective victim, including names, year of birth, date of deportation and the cause of death. The approach should bring the memory of the victims back into the everyday life of people - school classes often established the connection to the stories of the victims and thus created a personal examination of history.

a cultural debate

The debate about the stumbling blocks is part of a major discussion about the culture of memory in Germany. While some consider them as a worthy form of commemoration, others criticize that the stones could be disregarded or that the names of the victims are kicked with feet. Charlotte Knobloch sees a lack of respect for the victims in the stumbling blocks and takes the view that other forms of memory would be more appropriate. Despite these different perspectives, the initiative also offers space for alternative memorial approaches that are considered valuable from different sides, for example for the victims of euthanasia.

Overall, dealing with historical responsibility is a sensitive topic that requires great attention in both politics and in society. The stumbling blocks, as part of this discussion, concretize the memory of the victims and promote an active commemoration. As the initiatives listed show, the will live on to deal with and to commemorate, even if the opinions differ.

For more information about the stumbling blocks in Munich, you can do the articles from Süddeutscher Zeitung , taz and read.