Die Stolpersteine

Another proof that in today's Germany the acceptance of the different and the other along with remembrance and commemoration of the past, is the fact that those horrific events in World War II toward Holocaust victims commemorated in German culture so that they will not happen again. The amazing thing is that in every city in Germany there is a museum commemorating the victims of the Holocaust and the whole issue of racism and anti-Semitism is a very sensitive issue in today's Germany.

Another symbol commemorating those victims is the Stolperstein (stumbling stone), which was initiated by the German artist Gunter Demnig. The stones commemorate the last residency of the Holocaust victims before they were deported to extermination camps in Nazi Germany or before they were killed in one way or another. Although most of the victims were Jews, the Stolperstein also commemorates other minority groups in Germany who were there at the time. Details can be found on the stone such as the person's name, date of birth and date of deportation/day of death. The stone is embedded in the floor of the sidewalk in front of the building where the victim used to live. The Stolperstein can be found in other cities in Germany as well as in other European countries. In some cases, opposition was raised to Stolperstein project due to the fact that the Jewish community saw this as an insult to the victim because any anonymous person can just step on the victim's name and they saw it as disrespectful and humiliating. However, in my opinion this is a blessed project that chooses an original way to commemorate the victim.

In fact the encounter with the stone creates further curiosity among the same anonymous person who encounters it. In any case, most of the German cities had support for the Stolperstein project. The remarkable change for the better that has taken place in Germany in such a short time has generated a great deal of interest among many immigrants. Acceptance of the different and the other, patience and tolerance are an integral part of the city of Berlin and therefore this city proves to be the best city for immigrants. Those immigrants are interested in building a new life, staying in Germany permanently and living in peace and calmness with each other.

stolperstein in Neukölln