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Stumbling Stone Jozef Israëlsstraat 75a

Here lived

Gerrit van Duinen
Born: 12-08-1916 in Roermond
Arrested: December 21, 1943
Died: 06 May 1945 in Hildesheim

Background

Gerrit van Duinen was a machine fitter. In 1939, he and Sjoukjen Roeters married. They moved to this Jozef Israelsstraat 75-A address in July 1941. No information was seen about any children.

Official documents show that Gerrit van Duinen worked in Germany at the Hermann Goering Factory from February through August 1943 and that he was arrested in Groningen in December 1943 because he had left his forced work in Germany. On 27 December 1943, he was taken to Germany by train and put to work in Hildesheim.

Gerrit van Duinen died on 6 May 1945, one day after the official liberation of the Netherlands. His wife, Sjoukjen, survived the war, eventually re-married and moved to Zwolle.

"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 victim’s with the 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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