Storm in Germany: Council in Saxony halts placement of new Stolpersteine in memory of Nazi victims

The council of Heidenau in Saxony has decided to halt the placement of new Stolpersteine on the city's sidewalks and to centralize the commemoration in a cemetery. The decision, promoted by representatives of the CDU and AfD, has drawn sharp criticism from the International Auschwitz Committee.

The council of the town of Heidenau in Saxony, Germany, has decided to stop placing new Stolpersteine on public sidewalks and to centralize the commemoration of Nazi victims in the city's northern cemetery. The decision was promoted by representatives of the CDU and AfD parties. The initiators of the proposal argued that residents no longer see the Stolpersteine as a worthy memorial, partly because passersby step on the names of the murdered. The city administration recommended rejecting the proposal and argued that the commemoration should remain visible in the public space. Five Stolpersteine have already been placed in Heidenau, the first in 2021 in memory of Mayor Paul Greger, who was persecuted by the Nazis. Local activists sought to expand the project and commemorate additional victims, including Martha and Fritz Goldstein, and offered to fund the stones themselves. The International Auschwitz Committee described the decision as an attempt to once again push Nazi victims out of the city center and criticized the cooperation between the CDU and AfD.