Stolpersteins may look like ordinary paving stones at first glance, but they have their own specific purpose. They are made of concrete, measuring 10 x 10 x 10 cm, with a brass top bearing an engraved text commemorating a specific person.
Each line of text has a predetermined form that dictates what information it should contain. According to this form, the following biographical information is given on the stones, in the following order: First "Here lived" or "Here resided", followed by the name(s) and surname (or maiden name), date of birth (if the full date is not known, at least the year of birth), the date of deportation including the destination of the transport, and other biographical information. The word "died" is not used on the Stolpersteins because it might evoke a natural death, rather than a violent death as a result of the Holocaust. Instead of the terms "emigration" or "eviction" the term "escape" is used.
The biographical details of the person commemorated are usually engraved on the Stolperstein in the language of the country in which it is located. In Czech Republic, "Zde žil(a)" or "Zde bydlel(a)" are the most common ways to mark the place of the person's residence. Another option is to mark the person's place of employment "Zde pracoval(a)", or more specificly in the case of a teacher "Zde učil(a)". In some cases there are stones without any inscription. In Germany, the wording "Hier wohnte" is usually found on Stolpersteins.
The author, Günter Demnig chose brass as the material for the Stolpersteins mainly because of its durability and the fact that it can be cleaned relatively easily, even with the sole of the shoe. His original vision was that people would step on the stones and clean them this way. In practice, however, this is often not the case. Stolpersteins are fairly well visible, which means that passers-by notice them and usually do not step on them, as they are perceived as a commemorative object. Cleaning the stones is therefore essential, otherwise these objects commemorating the victims of the Holocaust would gradually corrode and the inscriptions would become illegible. There should be a moral obligation to take care of them – just as people care for the graves of their relatives, bringing flowers or lighting candles.
The brass surface oxidises and a slight brown to black colouration may appear on stones that have not been cleaned for a long time. Various methods can be used to clean them. An ordinary dish sponge is suitable for removing dirt, the rough side can also be used. A cleaner designed for common metals or a special brass cleaner will also make maintenance easier. For the actual washing, a rag, a cloth and a container of water are needed. However, tools with a hard metal surface, such as a wire brush, should be completely avoided as they can scratch the brass surface. It is advisable to apply cleaning agents to the sponge first, as applying them directly to the brass plate may lead to them dripping onto the surrounding paving, which could cause it to turn white. If the brass plate is heavily oxidised, the cleaning agents can be supplemented with vinegar and two teaspoons of salt. Leave the cleaning mixture on for approximately one minute. If the desired result is not achieved after cleaning, the process can be repeated. As a result of the need to keep the stones in good condition, cleaning groups have begun to form and maintain them regularly and without compensation. The author himself recommends that each cube be cleaned at least once a year.
The price for the production of one Stolperstein is EUR 120, if the stone is laid outside Germany, a 10% charge for shipping costs must be added. This fee was introduced in 2020 and as no changes have been announced, it is assumed that it will continue to apply. Additional costs associated with the installation must be added to this amount, which includes the removal of paving and the subsequent insertion of the stone. These costs may vary depending on the specific location and other details.
There are municipalities and associations that have chosen not to install Stolpersteins in cooperation with the author and have created their own projects to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. Among them is the Czech project Stones of the Disappeared, whose paving stones have a similar appearance to the Stolpersteins, but their installation is quicker and easier. The project began in Prague under the auspices of the Czech Youth Union, which was dissolved in 2012. However, the name, which is more of an allusion to the German Stolpersteine rather than a direct translation, has caught on in the Czech Republic and the stones are still installed today. Brno and Olomouc are the most active cities in laying the Stones of the Disappeared.
A similar project focused on commemorating the victims of the Holocaust was implemented in Kadaň at the initiative of the Jewish Community of Teplice. This project uses stones that have a different shape than the traditional Stolpersteins. In fact, they are narrower and elongated, with a similar inscription on their surface, which also serves as to commemorate the victims of the Nazi regime. These stones are produced by Ondřej Pisch, a Teplice-based restorer and medallist who specialises in the creation of commemorative objects. All installations of these stones are organized and managed by the Jewish Community of Teplice.
The main difference compared to the Stolpersteins is the fact that the Stones of the Disappeared are machine-made, which leads to a significant acceleration of the production process and consequently to an increase in the availability and speed of installation of the stones. In contrast, the original Stolpersteins are made by hand, which ensures the high quality and individuality of each stone. The letters and numbers are hand stamped into the brass, which is a time consuming process.
The Stones of the Disappeared and Stolpersteins share the same goal – to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust in an individualized way by placing the stones at the locations where the victims lived, worked or were deported. Although there are differences between these projects, both aim to ensure that the victims of the Holocaust are not forgotten and that their memory is commemorated in the everyday life of towns and cities.
At first glance, the Stones of the Disappeared may look a little different from the Stolpersteins. They are larger, measuring 15 x 15 x 10 cm, and different standards apply to them than to the Stolpersteins. For example, you may see multiple stones placed side by side, multiple names of victims on one stone, or a specific form of text that details the fate of a particular victim.

Each Stolperstein should contain the following biographical information in this order:

Here lived/resided
First and last name (or maiden name) Date of birth (if the full date is unknown, at least the year of birth)
Date of deportation, including the destination of the transport, and any additional biographical information

The inscription on the paving stone is probably the most notable part of the commemoration of the victim's life, as it carries a statement that is intended for the general public. It is crucial that the brass plate appropriately reflects the actions committed by the Nazi regime against the individual. Clear wording and comprehensibility for different age and social groups is key to achieving the intended goal of the project. Stolpersteins do not directly call for the condemnation of the perpetrators of the Holocaust, but allow observers to form their own opinions. One of the secondary goals of the Stolpersteins is also to encourage interest in the study of history, especially that of specific individuals. The first Stolperstein in the Czech Republic was dedicated to Max Eckstein, who was deported to Łódź in 1941, where he was subsequently murdered. Günter Demnig laid it himself in 2008 in front of the victim's house at 63/3 Jáchymova Street in Prague 1.

The concept of the Stolpersteine project originated in Germany and was created by the Berlin artist Günter Demnig, who first presented the idea in his hometown in 1992.
A key moment for the project was May 1990, when Günter Demnig laid a "coloured trail" in Cologne to honour the memory of thousands of Roma and Sinti who were deported to concentration camps in 1942. He used a printing machine he made himself. This work was a pivotal artistic feat, in which Demnig marked the deportation route with white paint on twenty-two streets. As the coloured trail gradually faded due to weather conditions, the artist came up with the idea of creating a permanent inscription that would be resistant to adverse conditions. Demnig chose the symbolic date of 16 December 1992, to launch the project, which was the 50th anniversary of Heinrich Himmler's order to deport Roma to extermination camps. On this occasion, the author created a permanent memorial of the deportations by engraving the words of the order into stone. This first stone was laid in front of the historic town hall in Cologne.
At the end of 1992, Demnig first presented the idea for the Stolpersteine project. He drew inspiration not only from the events mentioned above, but was also likely influenced by a quote from the Talmud: "A person is only forgotten when their name is forgotten." How exactly Demnig arrived at the name of the project is not entirely known. However, the meaning of the German words stolpern (to stumble) and Stein (stone) suggests that the name Stolpersteine was chosen with the intention that people would stumble over these stones, not only physically but also symbolically — with their heads and hearts. Three years later, Demnig began implementing the project, with the first installations taking place in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Initially, this was done illegally, as the artist had not obtained the necessary permits from the city council.
The aim of the Stolpersteine project is to commemorate and honour individuals who fell victim to the Nazi regime, primarily Jews, Roma, Sinti, homosexuals, political prisoners, people with disabilities and other groups that were persecuted. These commemorative works function as a decentralized memorial that integrates remembrance into the everyday life of the cities and streets where these people lived, worked, and were part of the community before they were torn from their homes and often murdered. The aim is not only to commemorate history, but also to provoke thought about human rights, equality, and respect, whereby the victims are not just anonymous numbers in history, but are mentioned by name in the specific places that were their homes. The Stolpersteins thus become a symbolic obstacle that forces us to slow down and reflect on this part of history, whether we are passing it by chance or deliberately stopping at these memorials. This project therefore has not only a historical and commemorative dimension, but also an important educational and ethical aspect, which is intended to remind people of the tragedies of the past and at the same time contribute to the prevention of similar crimes in the future.
Thanks to these small memorials, the people to whom the stones are dedicated can symbolically return to the places where they lived before they were forcibly deported. The Stolpersteins represent a symbol of resistance against the mass murder committed by the Nazis during World War II. They are usually laid in the pavement in front of the victims' last voluntary residence and should be placed at a maximum depth of twelve centimeters. Originally, the author considered the possibility of attaching the memorial plaque directly to the walls of the houses. However, implementing this idea would have been much more complicated, as the artist would have needed permission from the owners of the properties concerned. When laying the plaque in the pavement, permission from the relevant municipal authority, which in most cases is the owner of the pavement, is sufficient. Finding the address of the victim's last place of residence can be difficult as in many cases, the victims moved repeatedly during the war to escape Nazi persecution. If it is not possible to locate the place where the person was staying before the transport, the last known address can be used. It is not uncommon for there to be no known address available. In many cases, the victims' homes were rebuilt or demolished. Even in these cases, the stones are laid near the victim's last known place of residence, even if it is not directly in front of their original home.
An interesting aspect of the Stolpersteine project is that its creator always strives to lay the first Stolperstein in a particular city and country himself. He supervises the process of transporting the stone and laying it in a dignified manner, with an emphasis on informing the victim's relatives about the act. In the beginning, when the project was just gaining momentum, the artist had no assistants, but this changed in 2015 when, due to growing demand, he hired a permanent team of five people as part of the Stiftung – Spuren Foundation. The team that assists Günter Demnig with the administrative tasks associated with laying the Stolpersteins has grown over the years. As of 2025, it has 15 members, which allows for more efficient project management and the necessary coordination.
The author does not recommend laying more than three Stolpersteine next to each other. Usually, only one or two stones are placed in the pavement. Situations where several Stolpersteine are laid next to each other are rather rare. An important principle that Günter Demnig adheres to when laying the stones is that each stone is dedicated to only one person. In this way, he protects the individuality of the victims and prevents their memory from becoming a mere number. An exception to this rule are the so-called stone thresholds (Stolperschwellen), which are installed in places where, for reasons of space, it is not possible to place the required number of individual stones (for example, in front of a school).
Sculptor Michael Fridrich Fielander makes each stone by hand. This manual approach not only contributes to the artistic quality of each letter, but also ensures that the project does not lose its personal value and symbolic meaning. Production is time-consuming, with the artist able to produce approximately 440 stones.
The process of laying the stones is also carefully structured. Each location requires construction work, which takes approximately 20 minutes. Due to these preparations, the number of stones that Günter Demnig can lay in one day is limited to 12. In this way, the project remains personal, which is the author's key intention.
Due to the great interest in the Stolpersteine project, the waiting period for laying is relatively long. After confirming their order, interested parties can expect the stones to be laid in approximately nine months. They can reserve a specific date and time for laying based on available capacity. For 2025, dates in June and October have been selected for laying.
The first Stolperstein was laid by the artist in the fall of 2008, and since then, additional stones have been laid every year. Due to the great interest in this project and also considering the age and health of the author, Demnig no longer lays the stones himself, as was originally planned. He always lays only the first stone in a given country, while his team takes care of the subsequent layings. In the Czech Republic, local organizations also participate in the laying of stones. In the capital city of Prague, for example, it is the local Jewish Community in cooperation with the Public Jewish Association for the Assistance of Holocaust Victims. Outside the capital, the project is implemented by other Jewish communities, as well as various initiatives and individuals who are involved in the issue. Günter Demnig, as the author, is the only person authorized to produce and install the Stolpersteins in Europe, as the name Stolperstein has been patented since 2003. However, the patent does not cover the appearance of the stones, which has allowed for similar projects to emerge.
These time and production constraints led to the creation of separate versions of this commemoration of Holocaust victims in some countries, such as Austria and the Czech Republic. In these cases, the creators decided to produce the stones at their own expense, although they retained a similar appearance, concept, and symbolism to the Stolpersteins. This approach differs from the original model.
In the Czech Republic, we find the Czech project Stones of the Disappeared, which was originally started by volunteers from the Union of Jewish Youth in 2008–2010, when they decided to implement their own project to honour Holocaust victims in order to reduce waiting times and speed up the laying process. In 2010, the civic association Stolpersteine CZ was founded, led by Aleš Hank. From 2012 to 2016, this association was actively involved in laying the Stones of the Disappeared, but it disbanded after 2016. Currently, the production of the stones is mainly concentrated in Brno, Kadaň, as well as other towns. The price for the production of one stone in 2025 was CZK 3,500. To this amount, it is also necessary to add the costs of installing the stone, which are CZK 1,500. The production of the Stones of the Disappeared takes place in Brno and is carried out by the craftsman Vladimír Vrána. After sending the necessary biographical data for production, the production itself takes at least one and a half months.
By the end of 2024, more than 1,000 memorial stones had been placed in the Czech Republic, with more than 750 Stolpersteine installed in Prague. In Brno, more than 300 Stones of the Disappeared had been laid by the end of 2024. Memorial stones, whether Stolpersteine or the Stones of the Disappeared, are also installed in other cities in the Czech Republic, including Plzeň, Ostrava, Liberec, Olomouc, and others. Due to high interest and limited capacity, dates for further installations are scheduled until the end of 2026.