Stumbling Stones Fahrgasse 18-20

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

* Robert Strauß, born 1896, deported 1942, murdered in Izbica.
* Josef Strauß, born 1900, fled 1937 to France, deported, murdered in Auschwitz.

Robert and Josef (plus Adolf and Leopold) Strauß were sons of a kosher butcher whose shop was at this location from 1908-1935. With Leopold, Robert and Josef ran a smoking supplies store starting in 1919. Robert probably moved to Essen in the 1920s, and Josef became the sole owner of the business until 1937 when he was forced to sell. He fled to France. The next year Josef was interned at Camp Rivesaltes. Information was not seen on his next deportation to Drancy transit camp near Paris. On 25 September 1942, he was deported on Convoy 37 from Drancy to Auschwitz.

In Essen, Robert Strauß married Herta Grünebaum; they had 3 children (Hannelore, Dietmar und Berthold). He worked in his father-in-law’s shoe store and later in the Jewish children’s home. He was deported from Düsseldorf on 22 April 1942 with his wife and children, who were ages 18, 15, 9. None survived.

Brothers Adolf and Leopold Strauss fled to Argentina in 1938 and later emigrated 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."

For more information and pictures, please visit Stolpersteine Frankfurt am Main (in German). Go to: Stolpersteine in der Altstadt, Fahrgasse 18-20.

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Source

• Text: Fedor de Vries & Anne Palmer
• Photos: Sascha Stefan Ruehlow
• Frankfurt.de
• Yad Vashem Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names
• USHMM: Joseph Strauss
• Geni.com
• Stolpersteine.eu