Stumbling blocks against forgetting

They once had to pay for their political commitment with their lives, as did Georg Landgraf (1885 - 1933), in whose memory a stumbling block was laid at this location in 2013. When the National Socialists seized power in 1933, they began a path of suffering characterised by persecution, arrests, abuse and even death. Ernst Heilmann, a member of the Reichstag from 1928 to 1933, was murdered in Buchenwald concentration camp on 3 April 1940 after spending time in several concentration camps. As a member of the Saxon State Parliament, Karl Böchel was seriously injured during the occupation of the state parliament building by the SA in March 1933. After fleeing to Czechoslovakia, he fled to Norway in 1938, where he died, seriously ill, on 28 February 1946.

Chemnitz citizens, sponsors of the Stumbling Stones, representatives of the Chemnitz Jewish community, relatives and guests from all over Germany gathered today, Wednesday, at

9 a.m. today at Dresdner Straße 38 to commemorate these two fates on behalf of many others.

"With small memorial stones, labelled with names and dates of life, we draw attention to citizens of our city who were persecuted, expelled and murdered during the period of National Socialist rule in Germany. We are stumbling over their stories, quite literally, to prevent them from being forgotten," explained Mayor Sven Schulze. In the presence of the project initiator and artist Gunter Demnig, he recognised the broad support that the project has received in Chemnitz through the voluntary commitment of associations and citizens.

23 Stumbling Stones were subsequently laid by Gunter Demnig at a further fourteen locations in the city. They commemorate former residents of Chemnitz, including numerous Jewish fellow citizens.

The further laying took place in memory of:

Henriett Frensdorf (1876 - 1944), Richard Bretschneider (1899 - 1940), Eugen Simon (1877 - 1943), Dr. Else Wolff (1891 - 1942), Siegfried Peretz (1859 - 1943), Lina Peretz (1860 - 1943), Albert Peretz (1880 - 1942), Hedwig Doerzbacher (1883 - 1942), Alfred Löser Joachimsthal (1877 - 1942), Elli Joachimsthal (1885 - 1942), Alfred Leder (1917 - 1943), Benjamin Sigler (1922 - 1942), Gerta Mühlfelder (1853 - 1943), Amon Mühlfelder (1882 - 1942), Therese Schwartz (1877 - 1942), Elise Löwenstein (1869 - 1942), Max Moses Löwenstein (1871 - 1939), Gilel Reiter (1878 - 1944), Dina van Voolen (1873 - 1942), Israel van Voolen (1875 - 1942), Jacob Ralf Götz (1913 - 1943), Marie Doernberger (1883 - 1944), David Klebe (1873 - 1942)

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 into the pavement at the place where they lived or worked, and small brass plaques on the stones provide information about the most important dates of the people's lives. The stones now commemorate the victims of National Socialist despotism in over 500 places in Germany and twenty European countries.

The first Stolpersteine were laid in Chemnitz 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 become a sponsor.

Contact person

Enrico Hilbert, VVN-BdA Chemnitz e.V.

Rosenplatz 4, 09126 Chemnitz,

Tel. 0371-27589395, e-mail: info(at)vvn-bda-chemnitz.de