Stumbling Stones Westersingel 20

These small brass memorial plaques (Stolpersteine or stumbling stones) commemorate:

* Izaäk Gudema, born 1903, deported 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 31 January 1943, Auschwitz.
* Bertha Gudema-van den Berg, born 1913, deported 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 12 October 1942, Auschwitz.
* Rosetta Sophia Gudema, born 1937, deported 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 12 October 1942, Auschwitz.

Izaäk Gudema, a butcher from Onstwedde, and Bertha van den Berg, from den Haag, married in 1936. They moved to Groningen where their daughter Rosetta Sophia was born the next year. In 1940, Izaäk expanded his butcher shop at Westersingel 14 (now 20) to include vegetable preserves and dairy products. Three years later, in May 1943, the business was liquidated as part of the German ordinance to remove Jews from businesses.

In early October 1942, Izaäk Gudema, Bertha Gudema-van den Berg, and Rosetta Sophia Gudema were deported to Westerbork. Then on 9 October, they, along with 1,700 others, were deported onward to Auschwitz, where they arrived 2 days later. Bertha and the five-year-old Rosetta were murdered in Auschwitz the next day. Izaäk, age 39, was apparently one of the 334 men selected for labor. He survived another 3 months until he also was murdered.

"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."

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar.com
• Photos: Suzanne Matrosov-Vruggink
• Biografie Familie Gudema
• Yad Vashem Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names
• Yad Vashem Transport Westerbork-Auschwitz, 09 October 1942
• Stolpersteine.eu