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Stumbling Stones Turmstraße 53

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

* Ingolf Lewin, born 1933, deported 27 November 1941, Riga, mass shooting 30 November 1941, Riga – Rumbula.
* Walter Lewin, born 1902, deported 27 November 1941, Riga, mass shooting 30 November 1941, Riga – Rumbula.
* Jutta Lewin, born 1935, deported 27 November 1941, Riga, mass shooting 30 November 1941, Riga – Rumbula.

Walter was a dentist who lived with his children. His parents and almost all his siblings also lived in Moabit with their families. Little is known about his family in the 1920s and 1930s. His wife’s name was Henny; nothing further was found about her.

On 27 November 1941, over 1,000 deportees including 89 children under age 15, left Berlin. They were not told their destination. After 3 days in crowded third-class passenger cars, they arrived in winter weather outside of Riga. On the day of their arrival (30 November) and on 8 December, more than 27,500 Jews were shot in the Rumbula forest, including Walter Lewin and his children, Ingolf (age 8), and Jutta (age 6).

"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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