# German Nazi victim memorial debates > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/german-nazi-victim-memorial-debates > Updated: 2026-09-26T16:58:00.000Z. Sources: 101. Developments: 4. In Heidenau, Saxony, the debate regarding the Stolpersteine project has culminated in a city council vote to prohibit the future installation of these brass memorial plaques in public streets and sidewalks. The motion, supported by members of the CDU and AfD, was passed in a secret ballot where 13 members voted in favor and six against. Proponents argued that placing memorials in walkways is inappropriate because they can be stepped on, suggesting instead that commemoration be centralized at the city’s Nordfriedhof cemetery. While Mayor Conny Oertel confirmed that existing Stolpersteine will remain in place, the decision has drawn intense national and international condemnation. German Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) described the move as a ‘scandal,’ arguing that relegating remembrance to cemeteries makes Jewish history invisible. Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor expressed shame and called for a ‘firewall against antisemitism.’ Holocaust survivor Charlotte Knobloch also criticized the decision, noting that while she does not personally support the Stolpersteine, decentralized memory in public spaces is vital. In response to the ban, officials in Schleswig-Holstein have launched a digital app intended to preserve the biographies of victims in Heidenau and other locations. ## Claims - The Heidenau city council voted to reject the future installation of Stolpersteine in public streets and sidewalks. (corroborated by 31 sources) - The motion to ban the stones was introduced by members of the AfD and CDU parties. (corroborated by 30 sources) - Proponents argued that memorialization should take place at the city's Nordfriedhof to prevent people from stepping on the memorials. (corroborated by 23 sources) - Thirteen council members voted for the ban, six voted against, and one abstained. (corroborated by 13 sources) - The city administration recommended rejecting the motion to keep memorials visible in public spaces. (corroborated by 12 sources) - Two Stolpersteine already exist in Heidenau, including one for former mayor Paul Gröger. (corroborated by 9 sources) - The decision was reached through a secret vote. (corroborated by 8 sources) - Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Jewish Community in Munich, criticized the decision to remove remembrance from everyday urban spaces. (corroborated by 8 sources) - Artist Gunter Demnig stated that the decision in Heidenau did not entirely surprise him given the rise of the AfD in Saxony. (corroborated by 6 sources) - Mayor Conny Oertel confirmed that existing Stolpersteine plaques will not be removed. (corroborated by 4 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-26: Heidenau bans new Stolpersteine Holocaust memorial plaques The Heidenau city council has voted to ban new Stolpersteine Holocaust memorial plaques on public sidewalks, a move supported by the AfD and CDU that has sparked international outrage and criticism. 45 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/heidenau-bans-stolpersteine-memorial-stones-from-public-streets ### 2026-09-24: Heidenau council bans future Stolpersteine memorial plaques The Heidenau city council voted to ban future Stolpersteine memorial plaques in public streets, a move led by the CDU and AfD that has sparked national criticism and accusations of erasing Holocaust memory. 53 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/heidenau-city-council-votes-to-ban-stolpersteine-memorials ### 2026-09-22: Germany: Debates erupt over Nazi victim memorials Debates over Nazi victim commemoration intensify in Germany following the vandalism of a synagogue memorial in Ratingen and a political motion in Heidenau to restrict the use of 'Stolpersteine' plaques. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/germany-debates-erupt-over-nazi-victim-memorials ### 2026-09-13: German schools participate in Stolpersteine memorial projects Students in Oberwesel and Lüdenscheid participate in laying Stolpersteine memorial stones to honor Jewish families persecuted during the National Socialist era. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/german-schools-participate-in-stolpersteine-memorial-projects --- Cite as: German Nazi victim memorial debates. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/german-nazi-victim-memorial-debates