Stumbling Stones Alt-Moabit 85

These small, brass memorial plaques (Stolpersteine or stumbling stpmes) commemorate the Stargardt family:

* Jacob Stargardt, born 1860, deported 1943 Theresienstadt, dead 1943.
* Clara Stargardt née Lindenfeld, born 1871, deported 1943, dead in Theresienstadt.
* Erich Stargardt, born 1898, deported, Auschwitz, lost, presumed dead.
* Dorothea Stargardt, born 1896, deported 1943, Auschwitz, lost, presumed dead.

Jacob Stargardt and Clara Lindenfeld married and had 2 children – Dorthea and Erich. The family lived at this address in the 1930s. The parents were then put into an old age home, probably in 1941. Records show that the couple paid RM 6,250 for a so-called home-purchase contract in Theresienstadt, with food and accomodation guaranteed until age 85. On 29 January 1943, Jacob and Clara Stargardt, ages 83 and 72, were deported to Theresienstadt on Transport I/88, an "Alterstransport" of 100 mostly elderly Jews. In Theresienstadt, Jacob died on 14 February, and Clara nine days later.

Their children probably moved out of the Alt-Moabit apartment when their parents went to the home for the elderly. Erich Stargardt was employed (probably forced labor) in Berlin by Kurt Seydel Company, which manufactured military equipment. The Nazis’ "Factory Action" to remove Jewish laborers led to the deportation on 01 March 1943 of Erich on Transport 31 to Auschwitz. Dorothea was taken 2 days later on Transport 33, also to Auschwitz. Borh Erich and Dorothea are officially recorded as "missing." Of the 3,220 deportees on these two transports, only 40 are known to have survived the war.

"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."

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

Source

• Text: Fedor de Vries & Anne Palmer
• Photos: Thom Quine (1), OTFW (2), OTFW (3), OTFW (4), OTFW (5)
• Stolpersteine in Berlin: Stargardt
• Yad Vashem Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names
• Yad Vashem Deportation Database
• Stolpersteine.eu