Stumbling stone laying and memorial service in Dinxperlo

On 12 June 2025, over a hundred guests gathered in the theatre hall of the Kulturhus in Dinxperlo to commemorate the Jewish victims with German and Dutch roots. Relatives from all over the Netherlands, Dinxperlo, Bocholt, Germany and Canada were present.

The commemoration was organised by the "Stichting Stolpersteine", a foundation established in 2019 whose board members from the Netherlands and Germany work together across borders. The occasion for the event was the completed laying of 50 Stolpersteine for Jewish victims of the Holocaust from Dinxperlo and Germany - the Stolperstein of a resistance fighter is now also located in Dinxperlo.

Moving programme

The programme was marked by music by Miriam van Dixhoorn and Juul Beerda, as well as film and speech contributions. Speakers such as Chief Rabbi Jacobs, Mayor Anton Stapelkamp (Aalten) and Elisabeth Kroesen (Deputy Mayor of Bocholt) honoured the memory of the victims.

Iris Jansen, Chairwoman of the Foundation, emphasised the cross-border nature of the project: "Stolpersteine have not only been laid for Jewish victims from the Netherlands, but also from Germany". Chief Rabbi Jacobs praised the commemoration as "a small flame that dispels much darkness". Leo Belterman from Dinxperlo gave an impressive account of his mother's survival and the murder of his grandparents in Sobibor.

Melanie Steffens from Suderwick, in collaboration with Iris Jansen and other members of the foundation, produced a film documenting the tragic fate of several Jewish families.

European co-financing

The event "Memorial Stumbling Stones" was made possible by the Interreg programme Germany-Nederland and its programme partners and co-financed by the European Union (EU).

A free Stolpersteinweg flyer is available from the tourist office in Dinxperlo.