Konz-Oberemmel: Stolpersteine remind us of the murder of Jewish fellow citizens

The district initiative campaigned for the memorial stones to be relocated

Six new stumbling blocks were laid in Konz-Oberemmel today. They commemorate victims of the Nazi dictatorship. Artist Gunter Demnig, who launched the Europe-wide Stolpersteine initiative many years ago, personally embedded the brass stones into the ground.

Many people involved took part in the ceremony to mark the relocation, including students from the Oberemmel primary school singing a Hebrew song. The primary school support association had applied for funding for the stumbling blocks from the federal “Living Democracy” program and thus contributed significantly to the financing.

Mayor Joachim Weber thanked the working group that was committed to implementing the project and emphasized how important it is to remember our former Jewish fellow citizens. “With these stumbling blocks we remember the fates of people who were part of life here in Oberemmel. They made clothes, ran a shop and provided the citizens with food - until a terrible ideology pushed them out and drove them away. Today we are giving these people back their place in Oberemmel.”

The district initiative that initiated the project also took part in the ceremony, including Willi Körtels. The former teacher has been researching Jewish life in Oberemmel for more than 30 years. After laying the stumbling blocks, he recited the Jewish funeral prayer in Hebrew.

The descendants of the Kallmann family present, Britta and Rainer Blau, are visibly moved to thank them for their commitment and remembrance work in Oberemmel.