HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE – New stumbling stones to be placed in Rome, Adachiara Zevi condemns political appropriations

In January 2010, Rome was the first Italian city to welcome the Stolpersteine, the “stumbling stones” created by German artist Gunter Demnig to commemorate the victims of nazi-fascist persecution from where they were arrested or deported to extermination camps. These cobblestones, embedded in the pavement, now number in the thousands across Italy. In January, in the days leading up to Holocaust Remembrance Day on the 27th, their number is set to increase. “It was an insightful idea and has set a trend” said to Pagine Ebraiche art historian Adachiara Zevi, president of Art in Memory, the association that first brought Demnig’s message to Italy.
New Stolpersteine will be soon laid in Rome, marking the 15th consecutive year of this tradition. The first ceremony takes place on January 8 in the heart of the Jewish quarter, in via Santa Maria del Pianto. In the following days, more blocks will be posited across the city. Of particular significance is the ceremony planned in Aldo Moro square, opposite the National Council of Research. Italian minister of Education Anna Maria Bernini is to attend.
“It is an opportunity to reaffirm the true essence of the Stolpersteine and the uniqueness of Gunter Demnig’s project” stated Zevi commenting on the recent news of fake stones dedicated to “Palestine and its sons” placed by the neofascist organization Casa Pound in Trieste and Padova. “It is a clear act of antisemitism: comparing Palestinians to Holocaust victims is very serious,” remarked Zevi. “This is not the first time that this art form is twisted and exploited. But it is even more disturbing in this period.” The stumbling stones have faced political manipulation, misuse, and even physical damage. “Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to such acts, but it is our duty to continue without being intimidated,” concluded Zevi.