I would also like to contribute to the discussion here once again. Stolpersteine are certainly a sensitive topic, but they are not primarily a place of mourning like a cemetery with its graves, but an art project by the artist Gunter Demnig. He came up with the idea for the Stolpersteine in 1992/93.
The artist has a very good website on the Stolpersteine, which provides lots of good information and a database on the more than 107,000 stones laid in almost 1,900 municipalities:
So the idea behind the Stolpersteine is that this is an art memorial in public space that fits in very well with the Wayfarer concept.
Thank you for including the article and added context to this discussion. I have refrained from commenting so far because I was unsure of the background and intention of these pieces. But this helps me be a bit more comfortable with possible inclusion. Though I would defer to folks in the regions that these are displayed.
We don’t have an exact equivalent in the UK because thankfully those horrors never happened here, but I did see in a submission a single Commonwealth War Grave (not this one, but similar)..
We’ve had discussion about this type of object before and I recall there being a similar consensus that they were difficult from the point of view of sensitivity and notability, while being part of the important history of the country and the people within it. In other words, a single war grave - although representing the ultimate sacrifice - is not in itself notable because there are so many of them.
So while there is definitely a human story behind these stones, they represent something that tragically is common, in addition to the sensitivity. If the stone represented someone independently notable, or reflected a significant historical event then that might push it over the line to be more acceptable.
In the end, its the local community that will decide whether it will be approved or no.
If its being reviewed with more people who think its sensitive loc, its probably rejected. If its being reviewed by those who dont think its sensitive, its probably approved.
We are told to use our best judgement, after i read the link,i personally think its still eligible. Getting them into wayfarer is one way of spreading if i quote " The STOLPERSTEINE represent an art project that was, from the very beginning, designed to provide a lasting and continuous remembrance and continues to do so"
I encountered my first one in Oslo, Norway, when my wife and I were there for our 10th wedding anniversary in 2019. I was on a walk one evening while my wife rested, and I saw it pop up in PoGo as a stop and decided to investigate. Upon reading the small brass plaques and taking in their significance, I was left with a sense of awe over how ridiculous and cruel humans can be. I also felt a deep sorrow that is welling up in me once again as I recall this scene and type it out.
As an American who had never seen one before, it was a profound experience. Then, to see just how many were around…stunning, in a “Never Again” kind of way. Additionally, if not for being steered to one by PoGo, I may never have noticed them or been impacted by them.
Just offering up an alternate perspective from OP here. I understand being tired of seeing a specific type of POI like this constantly popping up, but I have hope that others have stopped and pondered upon discovering them.
Thank you everyone for you opinions! I can appreciate the way the struikelstenen/stolpersteine draw attention to a tragic historic event just by being a wayspot as @goofyspouse experienced.
I still feel like they are inadequate wayspots though. I am going to go with the conclusion of @shirtwod (thanks!) as my final view.
This seems to be the most suitable stance to me, since these seem to be over 107.000 stones. The sheer scale make them, tragically, far too common.
