Our Motivation

I took part in the Stolperstein memorial stone project because…

…I want to distance myself from my right-wing family and I have been interested in the topic for a very long time.

translated by Bridget Schäfer

…I think it’s essential to know about Germany’s dark past and to learn from it. Through taking part in the Stolperstein project, I have found out more about the fate of a single Jewish family and this has taught me more than just reading the facts in a text book.

translated by Bridget Schäfer

left to right: Stefan, Serafina, Pia, Frederick; Photo: Inge Franken

…I think it’s important to gain insight into the fate of a family who suffered under the situation in the Nazi period.

translated by Bridget Schäfer

…I think it’s important to find out about German history. And one of the reasons for me was also that my family has lived in the area and so I may have walked down the same streets as she did.

translated by Bridget Schäfer

I am interested in this project and the lives of Erika and Meta because in school we just talk about the general facts about the Nazi regime but never deal with concrete fates of people, aside from Anne Frank. Of course I could just read books about the topic or use other sources. But the special thing about this particular way of dealing with the past is that I get to gather the information about the lives of the two girls myself and in little steps until the story is complete which makes it more manifest emotionoally. Another reason why I am interested in this is the location of the story. The two sisters lived directly in my neighbourhood, walked down the streets that I walk down every day, they could have even went to my school. Because of that their fate is related to me, too in a way.

translated by Sebastian Walter

left Malte, right Sebastian, Photo: Inge Franken

First of all I am part of this project because I think that the victims of the Nazi regime have to be remembered in order to prevent these cruel crimes from happening ever again. I also think that one can only really understand the inhumanity of what happened in that time by dealing with such a concrete case. Additionally this case took place in my direct neighbourhood which makes it even more interesting for me since that means that I can connect it to me in a way.

translated by Sebastian Walter