Six new stolperstein stones bring Catalonia's total to over 430
Plaques placed outside former homes of victims of Nazi persecution
The western Catalonia town of Arbeca, near Lleida, is as of Sunday home to six new stolperstein stones honoring victims of Nazi persecution.
The "stumbling stones" designed by German artist Gunter Demnig are part of a worldwide project paying tribute to those who were sent to concentration camps for ideological reasons, with plaques placed outside the former residence of the victims.
There are now 439 stolpersteins across Catalonia, but authorities plan to place another 79 in 20 Catalan cities and towns by the end of the year.
The new stolpersteins in Arbeca honor Josep Sans, Antoni Folch, Alexandre Esqué, Ramon Esqué, Pau Montero, and Estanislau Perera, all of whom were deported to Mauthausen – only Josep Sans survived.
Gemma Ubasart, the Catalan justice minister, attended the unveiling ceremony on Sunday, stating that "the most advanced democracies pay tribute to the people who fought for the rights and freedoms we enjoy today."
"We do not want to be the exception, which is why this tribute is public recognition of those who were persecuted for defending freedom," she said.
Family members of the six victims were also in attendance, as were the mayor of Arbeca, Sergi Pelegrí, the head of the government's Democratic Memorial institution, and the Catalan government delegate to the Lleida area, Montse Bergés.