June 10, 2026. Cologne. A city that remembers bombings and ruins, but never forgets the names. On this day and the next, June 11, 65 new bronze stones appeared on the cobblestones of Cologne. stumbling blocks. The 3000th stone in the city's history. The ceremony, lasting two days, became more than a formality, an act of civic courage and family memory. What are the stumbling blocks Stumbling blocks (Stolpersteine) are bronze tiles measuring 10 by 10 centimeters, embedded in the sidewalks in front of houses where victims of Nazism once lived. The initiator of the project is the German artist Gunter Demnig. Since 1992, he has personally installed more than 100,000 stones across Europe. Each stone is engraved with a name, date of birth, date of deportation, and place of death. The idea: you walk down the street, bend down (stumbling block), and read. You remember. You don't let it be forgotten. 3000th Cologne stone June 11, 2026 was a double anniversary. The 3000th stone in Cologne was laid on Rubensstraße 25-27. It is dedicated to Hannah Grünbaum. Hannah was Jewish, she was deported in 1942, and she died in the camp. Her relatives, who were found through archives, came to the ceremony from Israel and the United States. They cried when the stone was inserted into the sidewalk. Gunter Demnig, who is already over 80, personally attended and helped lay the tiles. Two families on Fischelnher Straße On June 10, a ceremony was held for the Neugarten family on Fischelnher Straße 58. Kurt Neugarten, his wife Gretta, and their two children. All were killed in Auschwitz. The neighbors, who now live in this house, came out with flowers. They said: “We didn't know, but now we will remember”. On another street, Kalshoerer Weg 29, stones were installed for Otto Richter, who was executed for “preparation for high treason” in 1944. Otto was a communist. His 20-year-old granddaughter read a poem in German and Hebrew. Father and daughter on Spichernstraße In the morning of ... Read more