{"id":142259,"date":"2015-02-13T17:33:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-13T15:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oudaalten.nl\/niet-gecategoriseerd\/stolpersteine-stumbling-stones\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T13:16:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T11:16:14","slug":"stolpersteine-stumbling-stones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldaalten.nl\/en\/area\/monuments\/stolpersteine-stumbling-stones\/","title":{"rendered":"Stolpersteine (stumbling stones)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Stolpersteine\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Stolpersteine at Eerste Broekdijk 51, Aalten<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Gunter\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Gunter Demnig placing the first Stolpersteine in Aalten<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In Aalten, 34 Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) are laid across twelve addresses. A Stolperstein is a memorial stone placed in the pavement in front of the house from which people were deported by the Nazis to extermination camps during World War II. When you see such a stone\u2014usually unexpectedly\u2014with the name of a victim, you are momentarily reminded of how millions became victims of systematic murder during that war. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stones have a surface area of 10 by 10 cm. A brass plate is affixed to the top, into which the name, year of birth, date of deportation, and the place and date of death are stamped. Each stone serves as a memorial to a single victim: a person who lived in that very spot and was deported from there, never to return. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Stolpersteine project was conceived by the German artist Gunter Demnig. He deliberately kept the size of these \u2018stones of offence\u2019 small, requiring one to bow down to read the inscriptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demnig began laying the first Stolperstein in 1997 in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg. Today, Stolpersteine can be found in many countries. Gunter Demnig thus gives every victim their own individual monument. His motto is: \u201cA person is only forgotten when his or her name is forgotten.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, he made all the stones himself, as he felt mass production conflicted with the project’s ethos. However, forced by the project’s rapid growth, he is now assisted by an artist friend. He insists on personally laying the first stones in any given location. The remaining stones are now usually installed by municipal pavers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stolpersteine in Aalten<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Aalten, 34 Stolpersteine have been laid at the following addresses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n