First questions
What are the golden stones in the pavement?
The shiny squares are Stolpersteine, memorial stones for people persecuted by the Nazis. Each lies in front of the last home the person chose freely.
Brass plaques in sidewalks in Europe: what do they mean?
The small brass plaques in European sidewalks are Stolpersteine, memorial stones for people persecuted by the Nazis. They lie in about 30 European countries.
What does ‘Hier woonde’ mean on a stone?
‘Hier woonde’ is Dutch for ‘here lived’. It usually opens the inscription on Dutch Stolpersteine, which mark the last home a person chose freely.
How do you read the inscription on a Stolperstein?
The inscription on a Stolperstein usually follows one order: ‘here lived’, then the name, the year of birth and what happened. Read it from top to bottom.
Why are they called stumbling stones (Stolpersteine)?
Stolperstein is German for stumbling stone. The stones lie flush with the pavement, so you do not trip over them, but you must bow to read the name.
Stolperstein or struikelsteen: is there a difference?
Stolperstein is German for stumbling stone. In Dutch people often say struikelsteen, which means the same. Both words name one small memorial stone.
The project
Who is Gunter Demnig, the artist behind the Stolpersteine?
Gunter Demnig is a German artist, born in 1947 in Berlin. He had the idea for the Stolpersteine in 1992 and laid most of the stones himself for many years.
How is a Stolperstein made, and by whom?
A Stolperstein is a concrete block with a brass plate, and the text is stamped into the brass by hand, letter by letter.
Where is a Stolperstein placed, and why in front of that house?
A Stolperstein lies in front of the last home the person chose freely, before they were forced to move, go into hiding or were arrested.
Who gets a Stolperstein, and which victims are commemorated?
Stolpersteine honour people persecuted by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945, including Jews, Sinti and Roma, and people persecuted for political reasons.
How many Stolpersteine are there, and in which countries?
There are more than 100,000 Stolpersteine, in about 30 European countries. In the Netherlands and Belgium together there are more than 15,600 of them.
In which countries are there Stolpersteine?
Stolpersteine lie in about 30 European countries, among them Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. Here is how the project started and spread.
Stolpersteine in the Netherlands: since when, how many, why here?
The first Stolpersteine in the Netherlands were laid in Borne in 2007. With Belgium, there are more than 15,600, according to Stichting 18 September.
Stolpersteine in Belgium: since when, and whom do they recall?
Belgium’s first Stolpersteine, or pavés de mémoire, were laid in 2009. They recall people persecuted by the Nazis, including Jews and Roma.
Why are Stolpersteine the largest decentralised memorial?
Stolpersteine are often called the largest decentralised memorial in the world. It means the stones are spread over many places, not gathered in one.
What is a Stolperschwelle (stumbling threshold)?
A Stolperschwelle is a long brass strip with one text for a whole group of victims. It is used at places where very many people were victims.
Finding and visiting stones
How do I find Stolpersteine near me?
Search the free Stolpersteine map by street, city or name, or use the free app for iPhone and Android. You can also plan a walk past nearby stones.
A Stolperstein in front of my house: what does it mean?
A Stolperstein in front of a house marks the last home its person chose freely. You can look up the address on the map and keep the stone clean.
Why are there several Stolpersteine in front of one house?
Several Stolpersteine lie in front of one house because each stone is for one person and lies at the last home that person freely chose.
How do I make a walking route past Stolpersteine?
Open an address on the Stolpersteine.app map and choose a walking route past the stones nearby, as a round trip or one way, for the time you want to walk.
How do you behave at a Stolperstein?
You may stop, read and bow at a Stolperstein. Photographing a stone is normal, flowers are laid as at ceremonies, and anyone may clean a stone.
Is it disrespectful to step on a Stolperstein?
Stepping on a Stolperstein by accident is not regarded as an offence by the project. Supporters say that walking past is not disrespect.
What the stone says
What do the Dutch words on a Stolperstein mean?
Dutch stones use short words such as gedeporteerd, vermoord and ondergedoken. This guide explains what they mean, so you can read the text on a stone.
What do the German words on a Stolperstein mean?
German stones use short words such as Jg., deportiert and ermordet. This guide explains what they mean, so you can read the text on a Stolperstein.
What do the French words on a pavé de mémoire mean?
French stones use words such as né, arrêté, déporté and assassiné. This guide explains what they mean, so you can read the text on a pavé de mémoire.
What was Westerbork, the name on so many Dutch Stolpersteine?
Westerbork was a transit camp in Drenthe, through which most Jews from the Netherlands were deported to Auschwitz and Sobibor. Here are the figures.
Auschwitz, Sobibor, Bergen-Belsen: place names on Stolpersteine
Many Stolpersteine name a Nazi camp such as Auschwitz or Sobibor. Here is what these place names refer to on a stone, and where to find more.
Who is commemorated
Are there Stolpersteine for Sinti and Roma?
Yes. The first Stolperstein, laid in 1992, recalled the 1942 order to deport Sinti and Roma. Sinti and Roma are among the commemorated groups.
Stolpersteine for resistance members and political prisoners?
Yes. Stolpersteine commemorate people persecuted for political reasons and resistance members. Here is what the stones say and where to find them on the map.
Are there Stolpersteine for Jehovah's Witnesses?
Yes. Jehovah's Witnesses are among the groups persecuted by the Nazis that Stolpersteine commemorate. Here is how to find their stones on the map.
Are there Stolpersteine for men persecuted as homosexuals?
Yes. Stolpersteine commemorate homosexual men persecuted by the Nazis. Here is how the stones look, where they lie and how to find them on the map.
Are there Stolpersteine for Nazi 'euthanasia' murder victims?
Yes. Stolpersteine commemorate victims of the Nazi 'euthanasia' murders of sick and disabled people. Here is how to find their stones on the map.
Why do some Stolpersteine say 'survived'?
Some Stolpersteine are laid for people who survived, for example by fleeing or going into hiding, so that families are shown complete. Here is how to find them.
Cleaning and care
How do you clean a Stolperstein? Step by step.
Anyone may clean a Stolperstein, and no permission is needed. Rub the brass with polish on a soft cloth, let it dry, then polish again with a clean cloth.
When do people clean Stolpersteine? Which days, how often?
Anyone may clean a Stolperstein, and no permission is needed. Clean each stone at least once a year. Common dates are 27 January, 4 May and 9 November.
Why are Stolpersteine made of brass, and why do they turn dark?
A Stolperstein is a concrete block with a brass plate on top. Outdoors the brass turns brown and then dark. Here is how to clean a stone.
A Stolperstein is damaged, stolen or gone: what to do
If a Stolperstein is damaged, stolen or removed, tell the local Stolpersteine group or the municipality. Here is how to clean a dirty stone.
What happens to a Stolperstein during roadworks?
A Stolperstein can be taken out during roadworks and must be put back afterwards. If a stone is missing, tell the local group or the municipality.
Who looks after the Stolpersteine in my town?
Local people request and pay for Stolpersteine. Volunteers look for relatives, and the municipality gives permission because the pavement is public ground.
Stolpersteine and 4 May: remembering at the front door
4 May is Remembrance of the Dead in the Netherlands, a common day to clean Stolpersteine. Anyone may clean a stone, and no permission is needed.
Stolpersteine on 27 January: cleaning stones and reading names
27 January is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is a common day to clean Stolpersteine and read the names on them. Here is how to clean a stone.
Having a stone laid, and research
How do you request or sponsor a Stolperstein for someone?
Stolpersteine are requested and paid for by private people and local groups. Municipal permission is needed. Costs vary by organisation.
Who decides whether a Stolperstein is laid?
Private people and local groups take the initiative. Volunteers look for relatives, and the municipality gives permission because the pavement is public ground.
What happens at a Stolperstein laying? What is the ceremony like?
A Stolperstein is laid in a small ceremony in the pavement, often with relatives, neighbours and schoolchildren. The names are read and flowers are often laid.
How do you research the person on a Stolperstein?
Search the name, year of birth and address of a stone in the archives named on this site. If you find something new, send it to the foundation.
Where can I send a photo or story about a Stolperstein?
Send a photo, a story or a correction about someone on a Stolperstein to [email protected]. The map can show the photo with the stone.
Debate and teaching
Why does Munich not allow Stolpersteine?
Munich does not allow Stolpersteine on public ground. The best-known critic, Charlotte Knobloch, objects that the names lie where people walk.
Stolperstein or memorial plaque: what is the difference?
A Stolperstein is a small stone set in the pavement for one person. An ordinary memorial plaque or monument usually stands in one place.
How do you explain Stolpersteine to children?
Start with the stone itself: a small brass plate in the pavement with a name and the words here lived. Then explain who lived there and what happened.
Stolpersteine in the classroom: a lesson or project
A short school lesson on Stolpersteine: read a stone, find its address on the map, research the person in archives and attend a laying.
