New stumbling blocks in Stralsund: Memory of Jewish life!

New stumbling blocks in Stralsund: Memory of Jewish life!

Stralsund, Deutschland - On July 9, 2025, five new stumbling blocks were laid in the historic Hanseatic city of Stralsund, which are reminiscent of the Jewish women who were persecuted during the Nazi era. At the memorial event, which was opened by Stralsund's mayor Alexander Badrow, the victims from England and southern Germany took part. These moving moments were accompanied by students from the Hansa-Gymnasium, who are listening from the biographies of the honored women, including the Holocaust survivor Berta Wilton and Franziska Born, who tragically died in Auschwitz.

stumbling blocks are small, 10 cm tall concrete cubes that are provided with a brass plate. These plates bear the names and life data of victims of National Socialism. The project was launched by the artist Gunter in 1992 and aims to identify the victims' last places of residence before falling victim to the Nazi terror. By June 2023, around 100,000 stumbling blocks were laid worldwide, which makes this project the largest decentralized monument in the world. There are now a total of 88 stumbling blocks in the Hanseatic city of Stralsund.

a digital access to memory

The new stumbling blocks in Stralsund can be scanned with the innovative "Stumbling blocks". This app not only offers further information about the fate of the victims, but also enables users to light digitally. A cleaning instruction for the stumbling blocks is also part of the app. The application was developed by the Dataport company in cooperation with the State Center for Political Education Schwerin and the initiative for Jewish life Stralsund.

The stumbling blocks are embedded in the sidewalk and are to be discovered random to integrate the memory of the victims into everyday life. This form of commemoration goes beyond the visible: The term "stumbling block" alludes to an anti -Semitic phrase and is intended to encourage the wrong to think about that people have suffered during the Holocaust.

a living commemoration

The laying of the stumbling blocks is often accompanied by emotional memorial events in which citizens and descendants of the victims are invited to remind you of the past. The success of the project is not only shown in the number of stones laid, but also in public participation in these ceremonies. For example, there was an event in Berlin-Moabit, at which 19 stumbling blocks were apparently lively discussed and celebrated with music and biographies by the Jewish residents.
In Stralsund, special emphasis is still important that the culture of remembrance remains alive and as many people as possible take part in the memorial events. Even if there are reservations about the relocation of stumbling blocks in some German cities, such as Munich, the initiative remains strong and committed in other municipalities.

The memory of the victims of National Socialism by stumbling blocks is not only a reminder, but also an obligation to future generations. It is important to keep this references to the past visible so that you can never forget what happened. The stumbling blocks create a connection to the history that makes every walk through Stralsund a lively part of this culture of remembrance.