In December 2008, a few days before I entered my post in Beit Theresienstadt, I spent some days in Berlin and concentrated especially, like many Israelis, on the commemoration of Germany’s Jews, expressed in many places and various forms. The “Stolpersteine” (“stumbling blocks”) evoked my interest, displaying specifically the family side, as near as possible to their former homes.
After my return I read some about the artist Guenther Deming and his creations in various German cities. About a year ago I learned that Deming is dealing with this subject also in the Czech Republic and after checking it out I found that such a Stolperstein may be ordered also in my father’s birth place, Brno. In mid-June 2011 the artist installed 4 such stumbling blocks, right opposite the building’s door, left by Otto, Olga and Pavel Breda for their journey to ghetto Theresienstadt. My father Moshe had left two years earlier for Palestine and saved himself. Now, 70 years later, in a small corner of Europe, in a side-street, are the names of 4 members of the Breda family, together again, opposite the entrance to their house. At least a memento…

Oded Breda, June 2011