Stumbling blocks on the Eigelstein: memory of the Kaufhold brothers and their suffering

Stumbling blocks on the Eigelstein: memory of the Kaufhold brothers and their suffering

Eigelstein 54-56, 50668 Köln, Deutschland - On June 30, 2025, it was a moving day at the Eigelstein in Cologne. The stumbling block for the brothers Karl and Toni Kaufhold brought music and memories together. The well -known rapper Retrogott did not miss the opportunity to make an emotional contribution to laying the memorial stones with his song "Souvenir". The text of the song, devoted to his own father, who lived a painful life as a half-Jewish Holocaust survivor

The stumbling blocks, installed on the Eigelstein 54-56, are reminiscent of the shocking fate of the two brothers. Karl Kaufhold, born on June 24, 1908 in Düsseldorf-Eller, was declared as a "first degree mixed breed" and lived in constant fear of arrest. In fact, this happened on August 24, 1943 when he was arrested in his apartment. After his arrest in the El De-Haus, a deportation to Buchenwald followed, where he had to do forced labor. These circumstances ruined his health.

The fate of Toni Kaufhold

his brother, Toni Kaufhold, born on September 8, 1914, was arrested in Cologne in the same year in the summer of 1943. He was considered a gay and was followed by 175 StGB due to the notorious paragraph. He was also deported - first to Natzweiler and later to Ravensbrück. Both brothers experienced unimaginable suffering under the Nazi regime until they were finally freed by the Americans.

The stumbling block was part of a greater commemoration that put the suffering of the Holocaust survivors in the foreground. The initiator was Roland Kaufhold, the grandson of Karl, who launched the laying together with Reinhold Goss and the Eigelstein Citizens' Association. Interestingly, Gunter did not move the stones himself, but employees of the city took over this important task.

remembering the past

Especially in the context of stumbling blocks, which are installed in over 1,100 locations in 17 European countries, it becomes clear how far -reaching the culture of memory around the Holocaust is. There are more than 45,000 stumbling blocks in Europe, which are attached to the last place of residence of Holocaust victims. Each badge tells the story of an individual and warns not to forget. Gunter Demnig, the artist who launched this initiative, wants to bring the names of the millions of victims back into the consciousness of the people.

• stumbling blocks are made of brass and safely anchored in the ground.
• in Berlin, for example, there are over 5,000 stumbling blocks.
• Each stone contains the name of the victim as well as relevant data on date of birth and death.

Every Sunday a Cologne group, which also includes Roland Kaufhold, leads a walk in the green belt at 3:30 p.m. to keep awareness of these topics. Reinhold Goss emphasized the importance of commitment to democratic values ​​and warned of a possible loss of freedoms and human rights.

The stumbling block on the Eigelstein was not only an act of commemoration, but also a call to deal with the history and to preserve human rights today. So the memory of Karl and Toni Kaufhold remains alive - and with it the warning that forgetting is out of the question.