The memory of the Shoah, the stories of Emma and the others killed, 21 stumbling blocks to remember them - Lifestyle

Amelia Coen a old woman taken away from her home during the roundup of Roman Jews.

These are some of the stories remembered with 21 stumbling blocks placed in Rome in January 2021. After eleven editions in which 336 'stolpersteine' were installed in memory of racial and political deportees, this year another 21 will be placed in the capital.

    The Arteinmemoria initiative under the high patronage of the President of the Republic is managed by Adachiara Zevi "We managed to organize despite the situation due to the pandemic - explained Zevi - Everything takes place in compliance with anti-Covid regulations, therefore wearing masks and respecting the Unfortunately, we had to avoid involving schools and attendance was limited, but it is very important to carry out the initiative in a non-virtual way, but face-to-face. There was participation, but in full compliance with the rules. It was a sober edition. "

    Among the stumbling blocks this year also one dedicated to the memory of Mario Carucci, a military paratrooper and another to Domenico Ricci, Eiar employee, from an anti-fascist family, in contact with the members of the Action Party and protagonist of acts of sabotage and the requisition of weapons at the Centocelle airport, the Fort Casilino and the Breda weapons plant, shot with his companions in the Fosse Ardeatine.

    The stumbling blocks (in German stolpersteine) were born from an idea by the German artist Gunter Demnig which dates back to 1993 when he was invited to Cologne for an installation on the deportation of Roma and Sinti citizens.

He chooses the sidewalk facing the house where the deportees lived and installs as many "stumbling blocks", standard-sized cobblestones with a shiny brass upper surface.

On this are engraved: name and surname, age, date and place of deportation and, when known, the date of death.

The first stolpersteine ​​were installed in Cologne in 1995;

since then this map of European memory has expanded to include over 50,000 stones.