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Stumbling Stone Krahnstraße 1-2

This Stolperstein (stumbling stone) commemorates:

* Gertrud David, born 1898, 1940 Wunstorf "sanatorium", deported 27 September 1940, "Landespflegeanstalt" Brandenburg, murdered September 1940.

Gertrud David had both epilepsy and polio and was in the Osnabrück Curing and Caring Institution [die Heil- und Pflegeanstalt] until she was taken in 1940 at age 21 to Wunstorf. The Wunstorf sanitorium was actually a collection place for Jewish psychiatric patients from institutions in North Germany and Westfalen. While dates in various sources are not consistent about the deportation date (21 or 27 September), the sequence of events is the same: 158 Jewish patients were deported from Wunstorf to Brandenburg – to the so called State Welfare InsCutitute [Landespflegeanstalt] which was actually a euthanasia center. Gertrud was murdered there in September 1940 as part of the Nazi "Aktion T-4," which called for the killing of persons with mental illness or retardation.

This location was the David family home. Today the building houses "La Vie," a famous restaurant with 3 Michelin stars.

"Stolpersteine" is an art project for Europe by Gunter Demnig to commemorate victims of National Socialism (Nazism). Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) are small 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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