Stumbling Stones Wohlers Allee 28

These small, brass memorial plaques (Stolpersteine or stumbling stones) commemorate:
* Fritz Michael Allen, born 1907, fled to Holland 1937, interned in Westerbork, deported 1942 Auschwitz, murdered 3 December 1942.
* Julia Allen née Silberberg, born 1907, fled to Holland 1937, interned in Westerbork, deported 1942 Auschwitz, 1944 Ravensbrück, murdered.
* Ruth Allen, born 1934, , fled to Holland 1937, interned in Westerbork, deported 1942 Auschwitz, murdered.
* Evelyn Allen, born 1938 in Amsterdam, interned in Westerbork, deported 1942 Auschwitz, murdered.

Fritz Michael Allen's father, Louis Allen, was born in the USA and emigrated to Hamburg. There he met his wife and their 5 children were born. Fritz Michael, a merchant, and Julia Silberberg married and moved to Wohlersallee 28. The house belonged to Julia’s father, who operated a large slaughterhouse. Fritz and Julia’s first daughter, Ruth, was born in 1934. On 12 Oct 1937, the three fled to the Netherlands as did Fritz’s brother Kurt (also a businessman). Two months later, Kurt went to Palestine. Fritz and Julia’s second daughter, Evelyn, was born the next year.

In February of 1941, Fritz, Julia, and their two daughters were living in Amsterdam. All four were taken to Westerbork on 15 July 1942, and then within hours they were deported by train to Auschwitz, arriving on the 17th. According to the Germand Federal Archives, the two girls and their mother were murdered on arrival. But the sponsor of Julia’s stolperstein concluded that she was deported in 1944 to Ravensbrück, which would mean that she was among those selected for slave labor, then deported again. Regardless of the dates, none of the four Allens survived.

"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: Fedor de Vries & Anne Palmer
• Photos: Bernd Carstensen (1), Bernd Carstensen (2), Bernd Carstensen (3), Bernd Carstensen (4)
• Stolpersteine in Hamburg: Fritz Michael Allen
• Joods Monument
• Stolpersteine.eu