The 1920s Berlin project is more than just a roleplay sim, where we all have lots of fun.

We are about history, remembrance, understanding the past and trying to show our respect to the Berlin that was before the Nazis took over.

We support an impressive project that commemorates individual victims of Nazism by sponsoring a Stolperstein.

“Stolperstein” is the German word for “stumbling block”, “obstacle”, or “something in the way.”

Throughout RL Berlin (and many other cities all over Europe) you can find, or stumble over, thousands of these little brass stones in the pavement.

These memorials commemorate individuals – both those who died and survivors – who were consigned by the Nazis to prisons, euthanasia facilities, sterilization clinics, concentration camps, and extermination camps, as well as those who responded to persecution by emigrating or committing suicide.

While the vast majority of stolpersteine commemorate Jewish victims of the Holocaust, others have been placed for Sinti and Romani people (also called gypsies), homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Black people, Christians (both Protestants and Catholics) opposed to the Nazis, members of the Communist Party and the Resistance, military deserters, and the physically and mentally disabled.

The stones are dug into the pavement outside the houses where these people used to live.

A very moving and emotional monument to a single person can sometimes leave a bigger impact then a monument to thousands.

When I fist stumbled upon such a stone I must confess I had not heard about them and found it hard not to burst into tears on the spot.

It seems suitable that our 1920s Berlin Project, created to remember what the city was like before 1933, should be involved with the Stolpersteine.

We have been in contact with the artist and other people involved with this great way to remember who and what was lost, and they are very excited about what we do here. We, in turn, are in awe of their great undertaking.

Last year our donations paid for the creating and installing of a Stolperstein for Rosa Bleiberg, a young Jewish girl born in Berlin in 1926, murdered in Auschwitz in 1943.

The stone can be found on Rykestraße 52 in Berlin.

This year we hope to sponsor 2 stones.

We have placed a donation meter at the entrance area to our sim and, as soon as it is full, we shall pay the artist Herr Gunter Demnig to plant two of these stones in Berlin.

When the time comes, we will decide what kind of person we would like the monument to be dedicated to.

You can do your part by donating into the special Stolperstein donation meter.

All the money donated goes straight to the Stolpersteine Project.

You can find the donation meter here at the entrance of our sim;

http://slurl.com/secondlife/1920s Berlin/236/232/751

We will keep track of this and announce when the stones will be installed in RL Berlin.

Be warned, it takes a lot of work to make and Herr Demnig is not that often in Berlin, so it can take up to two years before our stone is ready.

But, no matter what happens in SL or to our sim, we shall make sure the stone is placed and that everyone hears about it.

We plan to sponsor another stone next year.

For more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolperstein

http://www.stolpersteine.com/