24 new stumbling blocks in Chemnitz

Today, two stumbling stones in front of the State Museum of Archaeology Chemnitz commemorate the fates of Jette Tamler and Bernhard Stieglitz, two former employees of the Schocken department stores', which once opened here in 1930. Both fell victim to the arbitrariness of the National Socialist regime: Jette Tamler (1902 - 1942), a saleswoman at Schocken, was deported to the Belzyce ghetto near Lublin on 10 May 1942 and murdered there. Confectioner Bernhard Stieglitz (1910 - 1939) was later murdered there after being deported to Poland in August 1939.

Pupils and teachers from Annenschule, Chemnitz citizens and members of the Friends of the Chemnitz State Museum of Archaeology, which has taken over the sponsorship of these two memorial stones, gathered at Stefan-Heym-Platz at 9 a.m. today, Wednesday morning, to commemorate these two fates on behalf of many others.

"I could hardly imagine a better place in Chemnitz to continue the Stumbling Stone project today," said Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig. "Jewish history in Chemnitz is closely linked to this square in the heart of our city. The building designed by Erich Mendelsohn for the Schocken brothers' department stores' was once a milestone for architecture and commerce. In Stefan Heym, son of a Jewish merchant family and honorary citizen of Chemnitz, we have also found a very good namesake for this square."

In the presence of Gunter Demnig, artist and initiator of the Europe-wide project, the head of the city recalled the dark chapter of German history and emphasised: "Remembrance needs symbolic power if it is to be moving. So that what we tend to suppress in everyday life is not forgotten: That we have a responsibility to remember and a responsibility to our community, which must never allow something like National Socialism to happen again."

Gunter Demnig subsequently laid 22 more Stolpersteine at a further ten locations in the city. They commemorate former residents of Chemnitz who became victims of National Socialist despotism due to their origin, religion or political views.

They include entire families, such as that of factory owner Dr Felix Max Frank (1891 - 1939), who lived at Hoffmannstraße 52 with his wife Elisabeth Frank (1898 - 1939) and daughter Hildegard Frank (1922 - 1939). They all lost their lives when the Dutch passenger steamer "Simon Bolivar" sank when it ran into a German minefield off the coast of England. Pupils from the Georgius Agricola Grammar School in Chemnitz and members of the Förderverein Industriemuseum Chemnitz e.V. sponsored these stones.

The other stones were laid in memory of:
Dr Kurt Lichtenstein (1884 - 1938), Walther Sachs (1872 - 1944), Gertrud Sachs (1872 - 1945), Ludwig Scharlach (1899 - 1943), Gerda Scharlach (1906 - 1943), Erika Scharlach (1928 - 1943), Josef Tittmann (1906 - 1944), Herta Tittmann (1914 - 1944), Rachella Tittmann (1938 - 1944), Dr. Fritz Gabriel Cohn (1885 - 1943), Flora Margot Cohn (1892 - 1942), Leib Kleinberg (1902 - 1940), Hans Mire (1908 - 1940), Oskar Simon (1880 - 1942), Käthe Simon (1883 - 1943), Margarete Simon (1890 - 1942), Franz Molch (1871 - 1941), Rudolf Harlaß (1893 - 1944), Hulda Müller (1897 - 1944)

Information on the net: All information on the subject of stumbling blocks in Chemnitz can be found on the city's website at www.chemnitz.de/stolpersteine

Information on the project: The Cologne sculptor Gunter Demnig initiated the "Stumbling Stones" project in 1993.
It honours citizens who were expelled, deported, murdered or driven to suicide during the National Socialist regime.
The Stolpersteine are set in the pavement at the last place where the victims lived or worked, and small brass plaques on the stones provide information about the most important dates in their lives. There are now over 45,000 Stolpersteine in Germany and 17 other European countries.
In Chemnitz, the first Stolpersteine were laid on 6 July 2007. Since then, further memorial stones have been added every year. The suggestion was made by the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime / League of Anti-Fascists, Chemnitz City Association, which received support from the city administration and the city council. As the sponsor of the project, the association is responsible for the content of the work, is the point of contact for suggestions of people to be honoured and looks after the sponsors. The City of Chemnitz supports the organisational preparation and implementation of the laying of the Stumbling Stones with a project group.

The costs for the production and laying of a stone are borne by a sponsor. Every citizen has the opportunity to take on a sponsorship. The contact person is Enrico Hilbert from VVN-BdA Chemnitz e.V., Rosenplatz 4, 09126 Chemnitz, call 0371-27589395. info@vvn-bda-chemnitz.de