Stolpersteins

At the beginning of November 1938, the Nazi newspaper “Kinzig-Wacht” reported that from 1st November no Jews were left in Gelnhausen – earlier than in many other towns. The Nazi terror had not yet reached its peak but many people had already experienced it: the mentally handicapped, people with differing political opinion and the Jews.

The artist Gunter Demnig has made it his life’s work to keep alive the memory of these victims with “stumbling stones” set in the pavement. Each stone bears the name, date of birth and fate of the victim. Demnig’s motto is: a stone, a name, a human being. So far 75,000 of these memorial stones have been laid throughout Europe. We already have 119 stolpersteins here in Gelnhausen. That is a horrific number of victims for this small town. We are delighted that, thanks to the generosity of many sponsors, these people will not be forgotten.

You see three stolpersteins in front of you. If you would like to learn more about the fate of the victims commemorated here open the page “three fates among many”.

“Stolpersteins” (Three fates among many)

Gustav Rennert, communist and local politician, did not mince his words and was persecuted by the Nazis. He served two sentences in Dachau concentration camp. He was accused of high treason but found not guilty because of lack of evidence. From then on constant surveillance by the Gestapo ruled his life. 

The other two stones commemorate the Jew Feodora Kissing, who found shelter in the town hall, and the caretaker, Rudolf Kraushaar, who offered her refuge. He succeeded in hiding Kissing for several months in his three-room apartment in the town hall attic. Two or three town hall employees would come to Kraushaar’s kitchen for their lunch break. At these times Feodora Kissing had to make herself invisible. Sadly, they were betrayed. Kraushaar was sent to prison in Kassel, which was not much different to a concentration camp. He was severely mistreated. He survived but when he came home after the war, his health had suffered severely. Feodora Kissing was deported to Auschwitz and murdered.

Keep your eyes open for more stolpersteins when you go round our picturesque town. Each one tells a story.

If you want to learn more about the stolpersteins in Gelnhausen, you can obtain the book describing the project either from the Tourist Information or the bookshops. It is available both in English and German. Further information is available on the homepage: www.stolpersteins-gelnhausen.org