Stumbling Stone Vilgert 42

This brass plaque (Stolperstein or Stumbling Stone), laid on 5-5-2025 commemorates:

* MARY WINNIK (born 1937, betrayed, arrested 4-7-1944, interned 13-7-1944 in Westerbork, deported 3-9-1944, murdered 6-9-1944 Auschwitz).

This Stolperstein is here for a Jewish war victim, persecuted, deported and murdered in World War II.

"Stolpersteine" is an art project in Europe by Gunter Demnig to commemorate victims of National Socialism (Nazism). Stolpersteine (trip stones) are small, 10x10cm brass plaques placed in the pavement in front of a residence of (mostly Jewish) victims of the Nazis. Each plaque bears the victim's name, date of birth and their fate. In this way, Gunter Demnig gives an individual memorial to each victim. One stone, one name, one person. He quotes the Talmud: "A person is forgotten only when his or her name is forgotten."

The sad history of Mary Winnik

Mary was a young Jewish girl, sent by the Amsterdam student resistance, to Limburg (Velden). She had to leave her parents to be safe. For a small child, this must have been very difficult. Her hiders took her in, and Mary lived there quite carefree until July 1944. Then she was brutally taken away from her hiding family. This drew Johan Berendsen, who worked for the AKD. He hunted not only young men for the Arbeitseinsatz, but also Jews. First, Mary was locked up in the police post in Velden. From there, Berendsen took Mary and Annie (Koekoek) to Venlo. There they spent a few more days in the police cell. From there, they were taken by taxi to Westerbork. From Westerbork, Mary went on the last transport to Auschwitz. That last transport also included the Frank family. Upon arrival at Auschwitz, Mary was murdered that same day. Her name is now back in Velden. Forever a part of history, permanently remembered with this stone.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Herdenken in Venlo
• Photos: Herdenken in Venlo
• - https://www.joodsmonument.nl/nl/page/186786/mary-winnik