On 28 March I ticked a very important item off my to do list when I saw Gunter Demnig at work laying Stolpersteine in Berlin. Three Stolpersteine were placed outside Erkelenzdamm 9 in Kreuzberg in memory of Kurt Eisenstädt, Käte Eisenstädt and Berl Eisenstädt.
I got to witness these Stolpersteine being laid because one of the stones, the one for Berl Eisenstädt, was sponsored by NotMs Parker of the wonderful Kreuzberg’d blog.
It was clear to the small group gathered at Erkelenzdamm 9 just how much the laying of these memorials to the Eisenstädt family meant to NotMs Parker.
She told us that she had come across Berl Eisenstädt’s name in a list of Jews transported to Auschwitz, where he was murdered shortly after his second birthday. The proximity of his age to that of her own sons at the time had touched her deeply. Knowing of Gunter Demnig’s Stolpersteine initiative she was determined that others should know the fate of this little boy.
As explained on Kreuzberg’d in the post Stolperstein For The Little Berlin Eisenstädt, what she was not aware of at the time was that Berl’s parents’ fate had been discovered by two other people, who had also requested Stolpersteine.
You can see more about the Stolpersteine at Erkelenzdamm 9 on Kreuzberg’d.
If you’re wondering what Stolpersteine are and would like to know more about the project check out my first Stolpersteine post.
I’ve always wondered about the process behind the laying of these stones – thanks for elaborating. Hoping I can make it to a ceremony in the future.
If you’re on Twitter there are 2 accounts @_Stolpersteine_ and @Stolpersteine_B that occasionally tweet about Gunter Demnig’s whereabouts.
What a wonderful post and series! I spent this morning polishing Stolpersteine here in Bremen as part of a volunteer effort. I think the Stolpersteine are an incredibly moving attempt to forge a connection between the present and the past. So cool that you were able to be present for the installation process!