Stumbling Stone Via Licia 56

This memorial stone (Stolperstein or stumbling block) commemorates:
* Gioacchino Gesmundo, born 1908, arrested as political opponent 29 January 1944, assassinated 24 March 1944, Fosse Ardeatine.

Gioacchino Gesmundo taught history and philosophy at a secondary school [liceo] in Rome. He was a communist and joined the Roman resistance. A clandestine newspaper, l'Unità , was illegally published at his house on Via Licia. When police broke into his house on 29 January 1944, they found 2 bags of 3-pointed nails stored there for sabotaging Nazi transport by the Gruppi di Azione Patriottica (GAP – Patriotic Action Groups). He was arrested and then tortured for a month while he refused to reveal his military and policial information. Sentenced to death, he was killed at the Fosse Ardeatine. Gioacchino Gesmundo was awarded the Medaglia d'oro al valor militare (Gold medal for military valor).

The small brass plaques, in the pavement in front of houses of which the (mostly Jewish) residents were persecuted or murdered by the Nazis, mention the name, date of birth and place (mostly a concentration camp) and date of death.

In many other cities, mainly in Germany but also in other European countries, the memorials also can be found. There are already many thousands of these plaques and their number is still counting. Almost all Stolpersteine are laid by the German artist himself, Gunter Demnig.

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