Stumbling stones Ludwigstraße 80

These small, brass, memorial plaques (stolpersteine or stumbling stones) commemorate:

* Adam Hardtmann, born 1899, arrested 1933, Heldenkeller, severely mistreated, conscripted in 1944 for construction of the Atlantic wall, murdered 1944, France.
* Maria Hardtmann née Weidner, born 1901, humiliated / disenfranchised, survived.

Background

Adam Hardtmann was married to Maria Weidner. He was held in the "Heldenkeller" ("Heroes’ cellar"), a local name for the tunnels where enemies such as Communists, social democrats, liberals, Catholic activists, Jews, reactionaries, etc., were starved, beaten and tortured. He was a pacifist, who also wanted democracy. Details of his release were not found. Then, in 1944, he was conscripted to work on the Hitler-ordered construction of the "Atlantikwall" -- a German defense system built along the coasts of continental Europe and Scandinavia. He was killed that same year in France. According to his comrades, he disappeared while on a break on the way to the Atlantic and was shot by guards.

Maria and their children had a difficult time because she was punished for her husband’s activities. She survived. No information about their children was found.

"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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