Gunter Demnig (born 27 October 1947) is a German artist. He is best known for his ''

Stolperstein A (; plural ) is a concrete cube bearing a brass plate inscribed with the name and life dates of victims of Nazi extermination or persecution. Literal translation, Literally, it means 'stumbling stone' and metaphorically 'stumbling block'. ...

'' ("stumbling block") memorials to the victims of

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

persecution, including Jews, homosexuals, Romani and the disabled. The project places engraved brass stones in front of a former residence for a

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

victim who was deported and murdered by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

. The memorial effort began in Germany and has since spread, with more than 100,000 stones placed across 26 countries in Europe.

Biography

Gunter Demnig was born in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. He grew up in

Nauen Nauen is a small town in the Havelland (district), Havelland district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is chiefly known for Nauen Transmitter Station, the world's oldest preserved radio transmitting installation. Geography Nauen is situated within t ...

and Berlin and completed high school acquiring his ''

abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

'' in 1967. Later that year, he began studying creative education at

Berlin University of the Arts The Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK; also known in English as the Berlin University of the Arts), situated in Berlin, Germany, is the second largest art school in Europe. It is a public art and design school, and one of the four research uni ...

with Professor Herbert Kaufmann. From 1969 to 1970, he studied industrial design there. In 1971, he transferred to the ''

Kunsthochschule Kassel Kunsthochschule Kassel (German; "Kassel College of Art") is a college of fine arts in Kassel, Germany. Founded in 1777, it is a semi-autonomous department of the University of Kassel. History Kassel Art Academy After the Seven Years' War (17 ...

'', resuming his study of creative education and passed the first state examination in 1974. That same year, he began studying art with Harry Kramer at the

University of Kassel The University of Kassel () is a university founded in 1971 located in Kassel, Hessen, in central Germany. As of February 2022 it had about 25,000 students and about 3300 staff, including more than 300 professors. A special unit (Studienkoll ...

. Following that, he spent two years planning, building and managing historical monuments, from 1977 to 1979. From 1980 to 1985, Demnig was an artistic-scientific member on the art faculty at the University of

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...

. In 1985, he opened his own studio in

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

and worked on numerous local projects. Since 1994, he has also been involved with the ''IGNIS-Kulturzentrum'' (IGNIS Cultural Center). Demnig's best known work is what he calls ''Stolpersteine''. ''

'' (in the singular) is the German word for "stumbling block". He began the project in 1996. Demnig's ''Stolpersteine'' are small, cobblestone-sized brass

memorials A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, Tragedy (event), tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objec ...

for the victims of

Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...

. Each stumbling block states "Here lived", followed by a victim's name, birth year, and death year. Set into the pavement of sidewalks in front of the buildings where victims once lived or worked, they call attention both to the individual victim and the scope of the Nazi war crimes. By 2017, about 61,000 ''Stolpersteine'' had been laid in 21 countries in Europe, making the project the world's largest memorial.

Works

*1980: Odor marks, Cassel-Paris *1981: Blood spot, Kassel-London *1988: Travel to

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

*1993: Conceives '' Stolpersteine'' project *1997: First two ''Stolpersteine'' installed at the invitation of

Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service ''Gedenkdienst'' is a concept in Austria aimed at young people to face and take responsibility for the darkest chapters of the country's history while being financially supported by Austrian government. Founded in Austria in 1992 by Andreas M ...

founder Andreas Maislinger for the brothers Matthias and Johann Nobis, with legal permit from St. Georgen (near

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

) *2000: Project ''Stolpersteine'' continues, acquiring permits to install the memorials

Shows

*1982:

Alte Oper Alte Oper (Old Opera) is a concert hall in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany. It is located in the inner city, Innenstadt, within the banking district Bankenviertel. Today's Alte Oper was built in 1880 as the city's opera house, which was destr ...

, Frankfurt am Main *1986: ''Kunsthalle Baden-Baden'', Museum of the City of Cologne *1991: ''Kunstlerhaus Bethanien'', Berlin *1995:

Academy of Arts, Berlin The Academy of Arts () is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The academy's predecessor organization was founded in 1696 by Elector F ...

Stolpersteine in different countries

* ''Austria'': Stolpersteine in the district of Braunau am Inn * ''Belgium'': Stolpersteine in Charleroi * ''Czech Republic'': ''Prague'':

Josefov Josefov (also Jewish Quarter; ) is a town quarter and the smallest cadastral area of Prague, Czech Republic, formerly the Jewish ghetto of the town. It is surrounded by the Old Town. The quarter is often represented by the flag of Prague's Jew ...

Malá Strana Malá Strana ( Czech for "Little Side (of the River)", ) or historically Menší Město pražské () is a district of the city of Prague, Czech Republic, and one of its most historic neighbourhoods. In the Middle Ages, it was a dominant center o ...

, Vršovice and Modřany — Královéhradecký kraj, Ústecký kraj * ''Germany'': Lake Constance district, Weingarten * ''Netherlands'' * Ireland: St Catherine's school, Donore Avenue, Dublinhttps://www.holocausteducationireland.org/news-events/embedding-of-irelands-first-stolpersteine

References

External links

Stolpersteine website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demnig, Gunter 1947 births Living people German artists Stolpersteine Articles containing video clips Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg Berlin University of the Arts alumni