The glimmering stones on the sidewalks of Assen are a memorial for 33 resistance fighters who died in Assen during World War Two. Eighteen new “stumbling stones”, also known as stolpersteine, were unveiled on Wednesday.
Descendants of the fallen resistance fighters were present as the stones were revealed for the first time. RTV Drenthe spoke with Huib van Opijnen, the nephew of one of the victims. “My uncle was a member of a militia of resistance fighters in Hoogezand-Sappemeer”, he says, but his family still does not know exactly what happened to him.
The stones are small, but each includes details about each victim’s story and are located in the vicinity of the victim’s former homes. An additional 40 stones are scheduled to be placed in October. The Struikelstenen Assen Foundation has identified 450 victims whom they intend to eventually memorialise with a stone.
Photo source: RTV Drenthe
