Stumbling Stone Rijksweg

This stumbling stone commemorates resistance member Chretiën Peusens.

Chretiën Peusens lived on the Rijksweg in Mariadorp (Eijsden) near the Belgian border. He and his brother Martin and sister Anna Peusens helped Jewish refugees cross the border.

On July 18th, 1942, they were arrested by the Sicherheitspolizei, assisted by the Marchaussee. Both brothers were put on transport to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Chretien died at the camp from deprivation, exhaustion and disease on Dec. 30th, 1942. His brother Martin managed to survive and eventually returned to Eijsden. Sister Anna was released after a stay in prison.

It is unclear whether they were members of the resistance group 'Luc' which included the brothers Alphons and Hubert Smeets and Count Raphaël de Liedekerke de Phailhe from Eijsden.

Stolpersteine are an initiative since 1997 by German artist Gunter Demnig. He began by placing the first Stolperstein in the Berlin's Kreuzberg district. Since then, there have been placed Stolpersteine in many countries.

The stones are a reminder of the Holocaust in World War II.
A Stolperstein is a 10 x 10 cm concrete stone, brass at the top in which the name, date of birth and death and place of death is stamped. The Stolperstein is placed in the sidewalk in front of the victim's former home.

Gunter Demnig in that way provided each victim his own monument. His motto is: "A HUMAN BEING IS FORGOTTEN ONLY WHEN HIS OR HER NAME IS FORGOTTEN".

The village of Borne was the first place in the Netherlands where Stolpersteine were placed on November 29th, 2007.

This one was laid March 13th, 2019.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski
• Het Hannibal spiel, J. van Lieshout
• Informatiebord verzet in Eijsden, Stg. Eijsdens Verleden