100 Stolpersteine stones to be laid in memory of Catalans deported to Nazi camps

Around 100 Stolpersteine stones, or stumbling stones, will be laid this autumn in memory of Catalans who were deported to Nazi concentration camps.

Democratic Memorial, a Catalan government institution in charge of honoring the memory of those who suffered repression for ideological reasons from 1931 to 1980, mainly focusing on Francoism, is in charge of the project which has already seen 184 such plaques installed across Catalonia since 2017.

Stolpersteine stones are a global project started by the German artist Gunter Demnig in 1996 consisting of installing cobbles on sidewalks outside the residence of each victim before they were sent to Nazi camps.

Each of the stones are made up of a 10cm x 10cm concrete block topped by a plaque made of brass, with hand-made inscriptions usually including the name of the person, the date of birth, the camp where they were deported and their fate there.

The aim is to bring victims out of their anonymity and there are already some 75,000 Stolpersteine in over 20 countries around the world.

Stolpersteine stones in Catalonia

This autumn, 101 cobbles will be placed in several towns: 17 in Vilanova i la Geltrú, 15 in Mataró, 14 in Súria, 11 in Rubí and Figueres, 9 in Vilafranca del Penedès, 7 in Esparreguera, 6 in Sant Cugat del Vallès, 4 in Ripollet, 3 in Montornès and Cardona and one in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda.

Some others have already been laid in municipalities across the country: Albatàrrec (1), Castellar del Vallès (5), Cervera (3), Cubelles (1), els Guiamets (1), Girona (16), Gironella (7), Granollers (7), Granyena de Segarra (1), Igualada (10), Lleida (11), Manresa (24), Navàs (6), Olesa de Montserrat (10), les Oluges (1), la Prenyanosa (1), el Pont de Vilomara i Rocafort (1), Prats de Lluçanès (2), Puig-reig (4), Sant Antolí i Vilanova (1), Sant Vicenç de Castellet (1), Sanaüja (1), Talavera (1), Torà (1), Tarroja de Segarra (1), Vallfogona de Riucorb (1), Pontils (1), Santa Coloma de Queralt (3) and Sabadell (61).