Stumbling Stones of Rome

These conspicuous brass-plated cobblestones often come as a surprise to those meandering through the sunny streets of Rome’s old Trastevere district. Closer inspection reveals a simple inscription: the name of a Holocaust victim, and details of their death.

These “Stolpersteine,” German for “stumbling stones,” are a very different kind of Holocaust memorial. They personalize the tragedy, marking the specific place where the victim lived or worked before being forced from their home and sent to extermination camps.