Stumbling Stones Rue Basse-Wez 289

These small brass memorial plaques (Stolpersteine or stumbling stones) commemorate:
* Boruch Zlotnik, born 1890 Poland, arrested 29 May1941, detained Breendonck, Malines, deported 1942, Auschwitz, murdered.
* Sura Zlotnik-Szwarc, born 1892 Poland, arrested 25 September 1942, detained Malines, deported Auschwitz, murdered 4 October 1942.

Background

Little information was found about Boruch and Sura Zlotnik. His name is spelled Baruch by their daughter, Esther Rosa, who stated in her 1972 testimony to Yad Yashem that he was a photographer and Sura was a housewife. Both were born in Poland; at some point they emigrated to Belgium. They were considered “stateless” in German records.

It appears that Boruch was arrested in Belgium four months before Sura’s arrest on 25 September 1942. The next day, 26 September, they were deprted together on the same Transport XI from Malines/Mechelen. On that passenger train were 1,742 deportees including 467 children <15 years old. Transport XI arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau two days later. Most of the deportees were murdered on arrival. Sura Zlotnik-Szwarc lived 2 more weeks. The date of Boruch Zlotnik’s death is not known.

“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, year 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: TOW - Anne Palmer
• Photos: Live from Liege (1), Christian Michelides (2)
• Yad Vashem Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names
• Yad Vashem Deportations Database
• Stolpersteine.eu