No, said Aziraphale, it's ineffable.

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Stolpersteine — Stumbling Stones

German artist Gunter Demnig, who turns 70 today (October 27, 2017), plants square brass plates with the names of people who had died due to Nazi persecution on the sidewalks in front of the places where they used to live.

The example shown here is for the widow of painter Max Liebermann, who committed suicide after receiving notice of her immanent deportation.

The ongoing project started on December 16, 1992, the 50th anniversary of Heinrich Himmler’s Auschwitz decree, when Demnig planted a plate in front of the Cologne city hall. Meanwhile, more than 60,000 Stumbling Stones have been planted in more than 1200 towns and cities in 22 European coutries, most of them for obvious reasons in Germany. In addition, a number of Stolperschwellen, Stumbling Thresholds, have been installed at places to commemorate events where the number of victims is too big even for a large number of stones. This makes the Stumbling Stones the largest decentralized monument worldwide.

Every owner of a place that was demonstrably inhabited by a victim of the Nazi persecution can apply for a Stumbling Stone, which costs 120 €. Meanwhile, there is a waiting list of about half a year. Each stone is produced by hand. The letters are punched into a brass plate, which is firmly mounted onto a concrete block. The resulting object has the dimensions of a standard cobblestone. In almost all cases, Demnig himself travels to the place and plants the stone.

The project was not without controversy. Some cities, such as Munich, still refuse to have Stumbling Stones planted. Opposition came also from parts of the Jewish community in Germany, who objected against people trampling upon the name of the victims once again. But the vast majority of the Germans and people of other European nations reacted positively towards the project.

In some places, the Stumbling Stones have initiated a commemorative tradition. People are asked to clean the stones, which are obviously exposed to the weather and the dirt of the street, on special days, such as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27), the anniversary of the Reichskristallnacht (November 9), or the day when Israel celebrates Yom HaShoah (which shifts every year).

richythegrey

Just going to add that, as an American, it is striking to find a street full of these Stumbling Stones, sometimes with multiple stones per building, especially when you know exactly what they are for and what the symbolize.

july-19th-club

“I expect everything will turn out alright in the end,” said Twoflower.
Rincewind looked at him. Remarks like that always threw him.
“Do you really believe that?” he said. “I mean, really?”
“Well, things generally do work out satisfactorily, when you come to think about it.”
“If you think the total disruption of my life for the last year is satisfactory then you might be right. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve nearly been killed–”
“Twenty-seven,” Twoflower said.
“What?”
“Twenty-seven times,” said Twoflower helpfully. “I worked it out. But you never actually have.”
“What? Worked it out?” said Rincewind, who was beginning to have the familiar feeling that the conversation had been mugged.
“No. Been killed.”

- Terry Pratchett, The Light Fantastic

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