Stolpersteine NRW

A WDR app for all stumbling blocks in NRW - against forgetting.

Stolpersteine ​​commemorate the victims of National Socialism. With texts, photos, audios, graphic stories and augmented reality elements, the app provides interactive information about people who lived on your street and in your city during the Nazi era: Stolpersteine ​​NRW brings history to life.

Note on usage: This app uses Google Maps to navigate to the stumbling blocks and the Google Firebase service, which is required for the AR functions. This means data is transferred to Google.

In North Rhine-Westphalia there are around 17,000 stumbling blocks that have been laid in more than 280 cities. Each stone commemorates a person who was a victim of National Socialism.

Stolpersteine ​​NRW takes you interactively to where the victims last lived before they were forced to flee, commit suicide or be deported.

Stolpersteine ​​NRW provides information about the individual life stories of the victims, for example in the form of:

- biographical texts and audio stories

- artistic illustrations in the form of graphic stories

- historical photos, audio recordings and videos

- Augmented Reality content

In addition, there is the following content:

- Map with all Stolperstein locations

- Suggestions for Stolperstein routes through North Rhine-Westphalia cities

- Teaching materials (in collaboration with “Planet School”)

- Interactive filters for searching and researching all 17,000 data sets

Experts from more than 250 cities in North Rhine-Westphalia supported this project. Without their knowledge and research support, the project would not have been possible.

We look forward to receiving feedback at [email protected]!

FAQ:

What are stumbling blocks?

- Stolpersteine ​​are 10x10cm brass plates embedded in sidewalks with basic information about a victim of National Socialism. They are predominantly relocated to their last known place of residence before fleeing or deportation/escape.

Why are there stumbling blocks?

- The artist Gunter Demnig is laying the stumbling blocks as part of his project to commemorate the victims of National Socialism.

How many stumbling blocks are there? And where can you see them?

- In Europe (mainly in Germany) more than 100,000 stumbling blocks have been laid so far. Over the past almost 30 years, the largest decentralized monument in the world has been created. There are around 17,000 stumbling blocks in more than 280 cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. The first stumbling blocks were laid in Cologne in 1992. More follow year after year.