Stumbling Stones H.W. Mesdagstraat 13

Stumbling Stones H.W. Mesdagstraat 13 #3

Stumbling Stones H.W. Mesdagstraat 13 #4

Stumbling Stones H.W. Mesdagstraat 13 #5

These small brass memorial plaques (stolpersteine or stumbling stones) commemorate 6 members of the Levie family and 2 members of the Fürst family.

- Meijer Levie, born 1875, deported to Westerbork on 3 October 1942, murdered on 22 October 1942, Auschwitz.
- Rosa Levie, born 1903, deported to Westerbork on 3 October 1942, murdered on 29 October 1942, Auschwitz.

Meijer Levie and Mathilde Marcus married; two of their children were Rosa Levie and Joseph Levie. Meijer, a cattle dealer, and Mathilde fled to the Netherlands in September 1938. She died in Groningen in May 1942, and Meijer was murdered in Auschwitz five months later (22 October 1942). Rosa, who never married, also fled to this address in Groningen, was deported to Westerbork probably 3,4,or 5 October, and was murdered in Auschwitz a week after her father.

- Joseph Levie, born 1910, deported to Westerbork on 3 October 1942,
committed suicide on 29 April 1943 in Westerbork.
- Else Levie-Metzger born 1911, deported to Westerbork on 3 October 1942, murdered 21 May 1943, Sobibor.
- Marga Levie born 1937, deported to Westerbork on 3 October 1942, murdered 21 May 1943, Sobibor.
- Friedel Levie, born 1943, murdered 21 May 1943, Sobibor.

Joseph Levie and Else Metzger, both Germans, married. Like his father Meijer Levie, Joseph was a cattle dealer. Their first child, Marga, was born in 1937 in Germany. The next year, the three fled to the Netherlands and lived at H.W. Mesdagstraat 13 with Joseph’s parents and sister, Rosa. Joseph, his pregnant wife, and young daughter were taken to Westerbork, probably on 7 October 1942. Their second daughter, Friedel, was born on 6 January 1943. Joseph killed himself at the end of April 1943. Three weeks later, his wife and 2 young daughters were deported to Sobibor and murdered.

- Nathan Fürst, born 1880, murdered 12 October 1942, Auschwitz.
- Katti Fürst-Hacker, born 1876, murdered 12 October 1942, Auschwitz.

Nathan Fürst, an orthodox salesman, married Katti Hacker, and they had 3 children, who were adults by 1939. In hopes of escaping to the USA, Nathan shipped belongings from Vienna to Rotterdam. He and Katti then fled to the Netherlands in February 1939. After arriving in Rotterdam, they waited 6 months in a nearby town, only to be told they were too old. Next they went to Groningen to stay with their daughter Rosa and her husband and daughter. Rosa’s family managed to go to the USA. Details on Nathan and Katti’s deportation were not found, but both were murdered in Auschwitz on the same day. Their three children survived: Rosa and Gertrud escaped to the USA, and Siegfried escaped to Israel.

"Stolpersteine" is an art project for Europe by Gunter Demnig to commemorate victims of National Socialism (Nazism). Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) are small, 10x10cm brass plaques placed in the pavement in front of the last voluntary residence of (mostly Jewish) victims who were murdered by the Nazis. Each plaque is engraved with the victim’s name, date of birth, and place (mostly a concentration camp) and date of death. By doing this, Gunter Demnig gives an individual memorial to each victim. One stone, one name, one person. He cites the Talmud: "A human being is forgotten only when his or her name is forgotten."