Stumbling Stone Ellerhuizen 22

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

* Martinus Schaaphok, born 1922, murdered 23 January 1945, Neuengamme.

Martinus Schaaphok was born in Bedum to Harm Schaaphok and Alberdina Arwert. When a young man, he became engaged to be married to Gery Laan. He worked as a baker’s assistant and a cook. For a while he was considered a worker in the food supply chain and exempt from being called up for a work assignment in Germany. When the exemption ended, he went into hiding rather than go to Germany. The Hoekstra family in Bedum hid him. On 19 August 1944, he was arrested for treason and taken to Camp Amersfoort. In September, he and other prisoners had to work digging anti-tank trenches while they stood in cold water. In October he was ill and admitted to Neuengamme, where he was murdered in January 1945 through exhaustion and malnutrition.

"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: Anne Palmer
• Photos: Nico Nienhuis (1, 3), Suzanne Matrosov-Vruggink (2), Suzanne Matrosov-Vruggink (4)
• Portretten Oorlogslachtoffers
• Wandeling langs de stolpersteinen noord
• Stolpersteine.eu