Leipzig commemorates: 25 new stumbling blocks for the victims of National Socialism

01. Oktober 2024

WOM

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in Leipzig, on October 2, 2024, the memory of persecuted and murdered people from the time of National Socialism will continue to be relocated to 25 new stumbling blocks at eight different locations. This initiative increases the total number of stumbling blocks in the city to impressive 793, which are now placed at 274 locations. Stumbling blocks are small stones with brass plates that are reminiscent of the former residence of victims of National Socialism and thus make an important contribution to coping with the past.

The project is the result of a committed interaction of many citizens who actively participate in the research of biographies or support the financing of the new stumbling blocks. Thanks to this engagement, the melancholic and at the same time meaningful light is thrown on the history of the victims who lived in Leipzig. These memorial stones not only raise awareness of the past, but also promote dialogue about human dignity.

special guests from all over the world

The laying of the stumbling blocks also attracts numerous guests from abroad. The situation in the Middle East in particular influences the journey of Israeli family members who still want to participate in the event. Video choirs will be set up at Antonienstraße 14 to enable everyone interested.

Wilhelmine Bohmann, among other things, is part of the personalities whose life stories are recognized by the new stumbling blocks. It was killed in Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 79 as part of the terrible "euthanasia" murders. The granddaughter of the Jewish family Beer, who lived at Ernst Pinkert Straße 15, will arrive from the United States. Her father, Joachim Beer, was able to escape to Germany shortly before the Second World War, while the rest of his family was murdered in the occupied Poland. These emotional connections illustrate how the past has an impact on the present.

The granddaughter of the Altmann family, who lived at Funkenburgstrasse 11, will travel from Australia. The Katzenellenbogen family, who used to live in the "Mückenschlösschen" (then Waldstraße 84), is also represented by a grandson from Vienna. The decades of forgetting is particularly noteworthy, in which many fates of people of the faith community of Jehovah's Witnesses went down. In memory of the Malkomes family, which lived in Gutsparkstraße 20, relatives from southern Germany are also expected.

commitment and support

In order to successfully anchor the stumbling blocks in public space, the working group was founded in Leipzig. This group consists of various organizations, including the Leipzig Archive and the Ephraim-Carlebach Foundation. Their tasks include the organization and financing of the stumbling blocks, which are supported by donations from the community. The organizers and sponsors are grateful for the support of many Leipzigers who work for this important memory project. Each donation enables the memory of the victims to keep alive.

The laying of the stumbling blocks is not only an act of remembering, but also a step into the future for the city of Leipzig in order to maintain the values of humanity and respect. The continued preoccupation of history and memory of the victims of National Socialism are of central importance for the identity of this city and its population.

For more information about the stumbling blocks and the fallen personalities, interested parties can read a detailed report here .