Heidenau bans new Stolpersteine Nazi memorial stones

The city council of Heidenau, Germany, has passed a resolution to prohibit the installation of new ‘Stolpersteine’ (stumbling stones) in public spaces. The motion was a joint effort by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Stolpersteine are 10x10 cm brass-plated cobblestones placed in sidewalks in front of the former residences of victims of the Nazi regime, including Jews, Romani people, political dissidents, and others. While five existing stones in Heidenau will remain, the council rejected further installations, suggesting instead a centralized memorial site, possibly at a local cemetery.

Daniel Bartel, head of the AfD parliamentary group, defended the decision, arguing that the stones are an ‘undignified form of commemoration’ because they can be stepped on or covered in dirt and debris. Historian Andreas Ullmann, who coordinates the stones across Germany, has criticized these arguments, linking the ban to the rising influence of the AfD and its ideological stance on memorial culture.