Entscheidung im Stadtrat: Empörung über Stolpersteinverbot in Heidenau

In the Saxon town of Heidenau, there is widespread outrage over the decision by the local CDU and AfD parties to ban the placement of Stolpersteine, commemorative stones placed in public spaces to honor victims of National Socialism, in the public area. The city council has approved a motion put forward by AfD and CDU, which will prohibit such stones in the future.

The decision has sparked criticism nationwide. Israel's ambassador, Ron Prosor, expressed shame, stating that Germany needs a clear barrier against antisemitism. Federal Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) called the ban a scandal, saying that removing Stolpersteine from places of remembrance is like making Jews invisible again.

The small bronze plates embedded in sidewalks serve as daily reminders of individual Holocaust victims and the responsibility Germany must bear. The tradition of Stolpersteine dates back to the 1990s and has since been implemented in many European countries. The stones, typically funded by donations, are placed at the last known residence or place of action of Holocaust victims, with their names and biographical details engraved on a brass plate on top.

In the factional proposal, representatives from AfD and CDU demanded that these Stolpersteine be prohibited in the public road and sidewalk areas. Many citizens, relatives, and initiatives deemed this form of remembrance inappropriate, stating in the motion that it should be prohibited from public streets and sidewalks, with remembrance taking place primarily at the city's North Cemetery to ensure that direct entry into the memorial elements is excluded.

The mayor of Heidenau, Conny Oertel (independent), said on MDR Sachsen that the debate was not about the essence of remembrance, but its form. "In Heidenau, we want to remember. Yesterday, it was only about the manner of remembering," Oertel told MDR.