In Braunschweig was laid on 4 November 2026 in front of the house at Zum Ölpersee 13 a Stolperstein for Wilhelmine Schmidt was laid. According to matching accounts from the initiative “Stolpersteine for Braunschweig” and the Provost's Office of Braunschweig it is the first memorial stone in the city explicitly dedicated to a member of the Sinti and Roma communities. The brass stone was set into the pavement in the presence of the artist Gunter Demnig, relatives and representatives of civil society groups.
The initiatives see the laying of the stone as a visible step towards giving greater prominence in public spaces to the history of Sinti and Roma living in Braunschweig. According to research by the local Stolperstein group, Wilhelmine Schmidt, also called “Piza” in documents, was a victim of Nazi persecution. Biographical details were gathered beforehand and presented at the ceremony. The organisers stressed that a credible culture of remembrance must name and honour all groups of victims. These statements are the participants' assessments.
Stolpersteine are part of a Europe-wide project by Gunter Demnig. They commemorate people who were stripped of their rights, deported or murdered under the Nazi dictatorship, and are usually laid outside their last freely chosen homes. Braunschweig has had numerous such stones for years; most commemorate Jewish victims as well as other persecuted people. The stone for Wilhelmine Schmidt expands the local commemorative landscape by explicitly naming a member of the Sinti and Roma communities.
According to the groups involved, decisions on new stones in Braunschweig are made in consultation between applicants, the City of Braunschweig, researchers and relatives. Church representatives and civil society initiatives said at the event that recognition of the persecution of Sinti and Roma had long been delayed in Germany's culture of remembrance. They also called for more educational work. These calls are the participants' positions, not decisions by the administration.
The city's political and cultural figures view the laying of the stone as a spur to further research into biographies that are little known to date. The City of Braunschweig initially named no concrete next steps; statements about future stones were general. The documented location, Wilhelmine Schmidt and Gunter Demnig's attendance are confirmed. Whether more stones for members of the Sinti and Roma communities will follow depends, according to the initiatives, on further evidence, applications and consultations.
Editor: Celestina Fuentes (Article created with AI assistance).