Mystery Thieves Swipe Away Every Obstacle Over Time
In Zeitz, all the commemorative stones honoring the victims of Nazism have mysteriously vanished. The local authorities have launched an investigation due to allegations of theft. Ten replacement stones are set to be installed promptly.
On the occasion of Israel's commemoration of the Hamas attack, it was observed on Monday that all ten stones were missing. A city representative reported this incident. A police report was subsequently filed, and the state security department is currently investigating to uncover any potential political motives.
Politicians and organizations in Saxony-Anhalt have expressed shock over this incident. The district administrator of Burgenlandkreis, Götz Ulrich, stated that the act was "unforgivable and should never be condoned." The missing stones symbolized Jewish victims of the Nazi regime. He added that the individuals responsible seek to erase the Holocaust from our collective memory.
According to the Left faction leader Eva von Angern in the Saxony-Anhalt legislature, the theft was a "despicable act laden with historical amnesia." Particularly disheartening was that the incident occurred on the same day as Israel's commemoration of the Hamas attack. This suggests that anti-Semitism remains a significant issue in this region.
The Green party legislator Sebastian Striegel from Zeitz noted that neither living nor dead Jews are immune to the rampant anti-Semitism in society.
As per police reports, the last time the stumbling blocks were seen in their secured positions was on Friday. The exact timing of the theft remains uncertain. No apparent suspects have been identified as of yet. To honor the ten stolen stones, the "Stumbling Blocks for Zeitz" initiative is planning a public walk to the affected locations this week. The stolen gold memorial plates are expected to be replaced and reinstalled as soon as possible.
Stumbling blocks are small, in-ground memorial plates that commemorate the victims of Nazi oppression. They are typically placed at former residences and carry inscriptions bearing the victims' names.
On the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, the department for reporting anti-Semitic incidents recorded a sharp rise in such incidents. These included insults, threats, intentional property damage, graffiti, and physical assaults in two cases.
The incident of missing commemorative stones is particularly concerning on the anniversary of the Hamas attack, as it echoes historical amnesia about the Holocaust. The stolen stones represented Jewish victims of the Nazi regime, seeking to erase their memory.
