Ginda Berenbaum-Apelbaum

This memorial commemorates Ginda Berenbaum-Apelbaum, an individual who was born in Poland in 1900. It marks the place where she resided before her arrest and subsequent deportation during 1942. The simple plaque serves as a poignant reminder of her fate, tracing her journey from her home in Brussels, through internment, to her tragic death. Such memorials ensure that the lives of those lost during this dark period are not forgotten, honouring their memory and acknowledging the profound human cost of historical atrocities. It stands as a testament to an individual life, irrevocably altered and ultimately taken.

This memorial is a Stolperstein, part of a widespread European project designed to commemorate victims of Nazi persecution, primarily Jewish people, Roma, Sinti, homosexuals, and political dissidents. The project involves placing small, brass plaques into the pavement in front of the last voluntarily chosen residence of the victims. Each plaque records basic information about the individual, including their birth year, date of arrest or deportation, and fate. This particular marker dates from an era when systematic persecution led to widespread arrests, internments, and deportations to concentration and extermination camps such as Auschwitz. The memorials aim to bring remembrance directly into everyday public spaces.

The memorial for Ginda Berenbaum-Apelbaum is located in Brussels, placed directly into the pavement at the address where she once lived. As a Stolperstein, it is designed to be encountered by chance in the urban landscape, prompting reflection from passersby. Visitors will find a small brass plaque set flush with the ground, bearing the printed inscription. It encourages quiet contemplation and shows respect for the individual it commemorates. As it is an outdoor, roadside memorial, it can be visited at any time, integrated within the daily life of the city.