The city of Brussels marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on Monday with the installation of three new stumbling stones on Huidevettersstraat in the Marolles district.
This area was known during World War II as a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood, where many residents were deported to the extermination camp.
The solemn ceremony, organised by the Association for the Remembrance of the Shoah, was attended by around fifty students from Brussels schools, as well as Brussels Mayor Philippe Close (PS), Faouzia Hariche (PS), the counsellor for French-speaking public education, and Delphine Houba, temporary alderwoman for Housing, Equality, Tourism, and Major Events.
Meyer Zalc, the association’s president, stated that the placement of the new stumbling stones aims not only to commemorate the murdered Brussels Jews and preserve history, but also to symbolise the idea that "this history must not be repeated."
The three Jewish victims honoured belong to the Goldberg-Fourman family, who lived on Huidevettersstraat where the French-speaking 'Théâtre des Tanneurs' is now located. The individuals remembered were Niska Fourman, Cyvia Goldberg, and Marie-Marja Goldberg.
"This neighbourhood was a significant place for Jews in Brussels," explained Zalc. He noted that the Nazis conducted numerous raids and deportations on Huidevettersstraat between 1940 and 1945. "Almost 800 men, women, and children were deported from this street. Nearly every house was home to a Jewish family," concluded Zalc.
