Stolperstein Dedicated To Hilde Kahn

Stolperstein Hilde Kahn Stuttgart: Visiting Hours, Tickets, and Historical Significance

Date: 14/06/2025

Introduction: Remembering Through Stolpersteine

Visiting the Stolperstein dedicated to Hilde Kahn in Stuttgart, Germany, offers a deeply personal engagement with the memory of Holocaust victims. Stolpersteine—small, brass memorial stones embedded in sidewalks—commemorate individual lives lost to Nazi persecution, marking the last freely chosen residences of those who suffered. This decentralized memorial project, initiated in the early 1990s by artist Gunter Demnig, has become the world’s largest of its kind, with over 100,000 stones installed across Europe, including more than 1,000 in Stuttgart (Stolpersteine Stuttgart, Wikipedia). The Stolperstein for Hilde Kahn stands as a powerful testament to the importance of remembrance woven into the fabric of everyday urban life.

Introduction
Historical Background: Hilde Kahn and the Memorial
The Stolperstein Project: Origins and Philosophy
Practical Visiting Information
The Cultural and Educational Significance
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Conclusion and Call to Action
References and Further Reading

Historical Background: Hilde Kahn and the Memorial

Who Was Hilde Kahn?

Hilde Kahn was born on 21 October 1893 in Ludwigsburg, Germany, and was one of four children in a German-Jewish family. She was a gifted dressmaker who operated a women’s fashion atelier in Stuttgart. With the rise of the Nazi regime, Hilde’s business, like those of many Jewish citizens, became the target of anti-Semitic boycotts. Signs such as “Deutscher kaufe nicht beim Juden” (“Germans, do not buy from Jews”) were posted on her shopfront, reflecting the increasing marginalization and persecution of Jewish residents (Stolpersteine Cannstatt).

Forced relocations led Hilde and her family to Seestraße 89 in Bad Cannstatt, Stuttgart. In April 1942, she was deported to Izbica, a transit ghetto in occupied Poland, where she vanished without a trace. Her fate is officially listed as “verschollen” (missing).

The Memorial

The Stolperstein for Hilde Kahn, installed at Seestraße 89, marks her last freely chosen home. The brass plaque is engraved with:

“HIER WOHNTE” (“Here lived”)
Hilde Kahn
Date of birth: 21 October 1893
Fate: “Deportiert 1942 Izbica” (Deported 1942 Izbica)
Status: “Verschollen” (Missing/Presumed dead)

The Stolperstein serves as both an individual tribute and a connection to the broader narrative of Jewish persecution in Stuttgart during the Holocaust (Stolpersteine Cannstatt).

The Stolperstein Project: Origins and Philosophy

The Stolperstein project, or “stumbling stones,” was conceived by Gunter Demnig in 1992 to decentralize Holocaust remembrance. Rather than focusing memory in grand, centralized monuments, Stolpersteine embed history in the public spaces where victims lived and worked. Each 10 x 10 cm brass-plated stone is inscribed with the name and fate of a persecuted individual, restoring dignity and identity to those erased by Nazi violence (Wikipedia, Prague Views).

Stolpersteine commemorate Jews, Sinti and Roma, political prisoners, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others. Their presence in urban environments invites residents and visitors to “stumble upon” history, promoting reflection and dialogue about intolerance, complicity, and memory (Germany.info).

As of June 2023, more than 100,000 Stolpersteine are installed in over 1,800 European towns and cities, making the project the world’s largest decentralized Holocaust memorial (Wikipedia).

Practical Visiting Information

Location and Directions

Address:
Seestraße 89, 70372 Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Germany (Stolpersteine Cannstatt)

How to Get There:

Public Transport: Take the S-Bahn or U-Bahn to Bad Cannstatt station, then walk a few minutes to Seestraße 89.
By Foot: The site is easily included in a walking tour of Bad Cannstatt’s historical landmarks.
Parking: Limited street parking is available; public transit is recommended.

Visiting Hours & Accessibility

Hours: Open 24/7, as the Stolperstein is embedded in a public sidewalk.
Accessibility: The sidewalk is pedestrian-friendly and generally accessible to those with mobility aids. Some pavement may be uneven; plan accordingly.

Tickets and Tours

Ticket Price: Free. No tickets or reservations are required.
Guided Tours: Local organizations and museums, such as the Cannstatter Stolperstein-Initiative, offer occasional guided tours featuring the Stolperstein for Hilde Kahn and other Holocaust memorials in Stuttgart. Explore their official website or Stuttgart Tourism for current offerings.

Nearby Attractions

Jewish Museum Stuttgart: Learn more about Jewish life in Stuttgart.
Stuttgart City Museum: Exhibits on local history, including the Nazi era.
Other Stolpersteine: Use the Stolpersteine Guide app to locate additional memorials and plan thematic walking routes.

The Cultural and Educational Significance

The Stolperstein for Hilde Kahn is not just a memorial; it is an educational resource and a call to reflection. Its placement in a public space ensures that remembrance is not relegated to museums or ceremonies but is part of daily life. The project fosters community involvement, with local residents, students, and descendants participating in research, maintenance, and commemorative events (Stolpersteine Stuttgart).

Cleaning the brass plaques has become a communal ritual, especially for youth groups, symbolizing the ongoing effort to keep memory alive. Schools integrate Stolpersteine into educational projects, encouraging students to research and share the stories behind each stone (Germany.info).

Cultural initiatives—such as theater performances and memoir projects—further enrich public understanding of the Holocaust’s impact on Stuttgart’s community (Stolpersteine Stuttgart: Hilde und Max Kahn).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are Stolpersteine?
Small brass plaques embedded in sidewalks, commemorating individuals persecuted or murdered by the Nazis at their last freely chosen residence or workplace.

Where is the Stolperstein for Hilde Kahn located?
Seestraße 89, 70372 Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Germany.

Are there visiting hours or an entry fee?
No. Stolpersteine are accessible 24/7 and free to visit.

Are guided tours available?
Yes. Local organizations occasionally offer guided heritage tours. Check with Stolpersteine Stuttgart or Stuttgart Tourism.

Is the site accessible to visitors with disabilities?
Generally yes, though some sidewalks may have uneven surfaces.

What nearby attractions can I visit?
The Jewish Museum Stuttgart, Stuttgart City Museum, and other Stolpersteine in the city.

Conclusion and Call to Action

The Stolperstein for Hilde Kahn is a moving invitation to honor the memory of a life interrupted by persecution, and to reflect on the broader lessons of tolerance, vigilance, and humanity. By visiting this memorial and others like it across Stuttgart, you participate in an ongoing act of remembrance that bridges past and present.

To make the most of your visit: