Barbara Johr, Peter Christoffersen (eds.): Stolpersteine in Bremen. Biographical Traces. Volume IV

Beschreibung

This publication series focuses on the biographies of the 652 Bremen victims of Nazi persecution, whose memory has been honored by the STOLPERSTEINE BREMEN project since 2004. Following the three volumes covering the North, Central, and Ostertor/Eastern Suburbs districts, the biographies of those who lived in Schwachhausen and Horn-Lehe are now being published. Several essays illuminate historical sites and explain the situation of Jewish residents of Bremen during the Nazi era.

About the stumbling blocks:

The Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) project was initiated by the artist Gunter Demnig, who was born in Berlin in 1947 and studied art education and industrial design. He developed the concept for the Stolpersteine in the early 1990s, but the project didn’t really get underway until 2000. To date, Demnig has embedded more than 1,000 of the cobblestones into the sidewalks of Europe. Each stone, bearing a brass plaque, marks the last known residence of victims of the Nazi regime.

Volume IV of the series «Stumbling Blocks in Bremen»

In Bremen, approximately 1,500 people fell victim to Nazi tyranny; the number of those deported, persecuted, or taken into «protective custody» is many times higher. The artist Gunter Demnig commemorates these victims of Nazi persecution by embedding Stolpersteine – brass memorial plaques – in the sidewalk in front of their last known residence, which was usually their own choice. Between 2004 and 2016, over 660 Stolpersteine were laid in Bremen. The minimal biographical information inscribed on the Stolpersteine was preceded by extensive biographical research. The Stolpersteine Bremen Initiative Group will publish all the biographies in several volumes, organized by city district and neighborhood. The books build upon one another, containing not only a local focus but also various fundamental accounts of Bremen during the Nazi era.

This fourth volume (Schwachhausen, Horn-Lehe) contains 83 biographical sketches as well as articles on the history and its traces, particularly in these two districts. Topics include the post-war history of the Jewish community in Bremen, the Reddersen House, «Jewish houses,» and an updated history of the deportation of Bremen’s Jews to the Minsk Ghetto. A glossary of key terms and a bibliography complete the information. A city map showing the locations of the books is included, allowing for personal exploration.

Non-fiction book | 1st edition 2017 | Softcover | 232  pages