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Stumbling blocks in Germany

In the early 1990s, German artist Gunter Demnig initiated the commemoration of individual victims of Nazi Germany by means of cobble stone-sized memorials, so-called Stolpersteine (‘stumbling blocks’), that are inserted in the footpath. While initially Stolpersteine were hotly debated, today they are no longer considered controversial. The fact that dedicating a Stolperstein means to have to research the fate of an individual victim distinguishes this commemorative form from others. In this article, I explore a variety of approaches to and motives for sponsoring Stolpersteine, and responses to them. I argue that the success of the Stolpersteine is due to the fact that they make complex and burdensome historical relationships manageable, and that they offer emotional relief because they are a public sign of expressing empathy with victims.