Stumbling Stones Bierstraat 2

These small, brass, memorial plaques (stolpersteine, stumbling stones, or struikelstenen) commemorate:

* Salomon Joseph Vromen, born 1895, deported 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 31 March1943, Central Europe.
* Mietje Vromen-Kannewasser, born 1893, deported 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 5 November 1942, Auschwitz.
* Jansje Josephine Vromen, born 1925, deported 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 5 November 1942, Auschwitz.
* Sander Vromen, born 1928, deported 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 5 November 1942, Auschwitz.

Background

Mietje Kannewasser left her family home in Den Helder in 1913 to work in Amsterdam and Leeuwarden for five years before returning to Den Helder. Salomon Vromen, a shopkeeper, and Mietje Kannewasser married in April 1924 in Den Helder and moved to Lochem (Salomon’s birthplace), where their two children – Jansje and Sander – were born.

On 4 October 1942, the family was taken to Westerbork transit camp. Then on 2 November 1942, they were put on a transport from Westerbork to Auschwitz. The train stopped at Kozel where 260 men and boys were taken off to be forced into labor in the smaller campts around Auschwitz. Salomon was probably among those forced laborers. Mietje, Jansje, and Sander went on to Auschwitz, where they were murdered on arrival. Mietje was 49 years old, Jansje 17, and Sander 14. Salomon Joseph Vromen, age 47, was murdered somewhere in Central Europe five months later.

Stolpersteine for this family were installed 20 April 2021.
For letters in Dutch written by the family between August and November 1942, see JoodsMonument.

"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 victim’s with the 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: Anne Palmer
• Photos: Suzanne Matrosov-Vruggink (1), Suzanne Matrosov-Vruggink (2), Suzanne Matrosov-Vruggink (3)
• Joods Monument
• Stichting Stolpersteine Lochem
• Stolpersteine.eu