Stumbling Stone Scharnhorststraße 44

This small, brass memorial plaque (Stolperstein or stumbling stone) commemorates:

* Selma Isaacsohn, born 1877, forced to move 1938 Rheydt, deported 1941 Riga, murdered 26 March 1942.

Selma Isaacsohn came from a well-known Jewish family of a cattle dealer and butcher. She spent her life working as a housekeeper and nanny for other Jewish families in Dinslaken, Mülheim and Cologne. After the 9/10 November pogromnacht in 1938, she fled to Rheydt, where she lived in a Jewish old people’s home. Then, on 11 December 1941, the residents of the home with approximately 1000 other Jews were deported from Düsseldorf to the Riga ghetto. Only 98 from that transport survived the war. Selma Isaacsohn was shot dead at age 65. Her stolperstein was installed in 2017.

"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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