Stumbling Stones Schoolstraat 7

Stolpersteine / Stumbling Stones commemorate the Passman family:

* Jacob Passmann, born 1878, deported 11 May 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 14 May 1943 Sobibor.
* Johanna Passmann-Elsbach, born 1881, deported 11 May 1943 from Westerbork, murdered 14 May 1943 Sobibor.
* Hermine Willner-Weinberg, born 1879, deported 3 September 1944 from Westerbork, murdered 6 September 1944 Auschwitz.
* Levy Passmann, born 1884, deported 31 August 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 3 September 1942 Auschwitz.
* Carl Passmann, born 1905, deported 31 August 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 11 March 1943 Fürstengrube, Poland.
* Erna Passmann-Willner, born 1879, deported 31 August 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 3 September 1942 Auschwitz.
* Hermann Passmann, born 1929, deported 31 August 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 3 September 1942 Auschwitz.
* Helga Passmann, born 1931, deported 31 August 1942 from Westerbork, murdered 3 September 1942 Auschwitz.

Hermine Willner-Weinberg lived in Oss and at some point took in her daughter's husband's family of 7 from Xanten, Germany. Jacob and Johanna Passmann had one son, Carl Passmann, a merchant. He also lived there with his wife Erna Willner and their two children, Helga and Hermann. A seventh family member from Xanten was Levy Passmann, Jacob’s brother. No information was found on whether Levy married. Stolpersteine have been laid for the 7 family members from Xanten at their home on Scharnstraße 14, Xanten.

But all seven plus their host, Hermine Willner-Weinberg, were taken from Oss to Westerbork transit camp. First to be deported out of Westerbork, on 31 August 1942, were Carl, Erna, Hermann, Helga and Levy.

Carl was deported from Westerbork first to Auschwitz and then, along with other men from Oss, was apparently sent to work in Fürstengrube, a nearby coal mine. At that time, the mine used Soviet prisoners of war, Jewish slave laborers and forced laborers from the USSR. Carl, along with others from the Netherlands, was killed on 11 March 1943, five months before Fürstengrube became a formal Auschwitz sub-camp using forced labor from Auschwitz itself.

Carl’s wife and children, ages 11 and 12 and Levy Passmann were deported on 31 August 1942 from Westerbork to Auschwitz where they arrived on 01 September and were murdered 2 days later.

Jacob and Johanna lived another 8 months. They were deported from Westerbork on 11 May 1943 to Sobibor and murdered there 3 days later.

"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."

Borne was the first town in the Netherlands in which Stolpersteine were placed -- on 29 November 2007.