Course
Commemoration in the city: Engaging with the Stolpersteine in Leiden and beyond
- Stichting Herdenking Jodenvervolging Leiden and the Stolpersteine Foundation
- Date
- Monday 7 April 2025 - Friday 9 May 2025
- Series
- Museum Lab workshops
- Location
- Leiden
How can we make memorials like Stolpersteine more meaningful in public spaces?
Stolpersteine are small bronze plaques in the pavement that remember the victims of the Nazi regime. Started in 1992 by artist Gunter Demnig, it has become the world’s largest decentralized memorial, with nearly 100,000 Stolpersteine across Europe, including 80 in Leiden. The Stolpersteine Foundation and the Foundation Herdenking Jodenvervolging are working to add more in Leiden, but they face challenges with engagement, education, and interpretation.
In this workshop, students will learn about the Stolpersteine project and its challenges. How can these plaques be made more visible in the city? What educational materials could help engage students in school projects? How can the Stolpersteine encourage conversations about the Second World War between different generations? Should more context or personal stories be added near the plaques? Students will come up with creative and practical solutions to these questions.