A new Stolperstein has been placed in front of the house at Horticultural Avenue 24. This took place on Wednesday, September 10, in the presence of relatives and invited guests, neighbors, and councilor Marike de Nobel and mayor Paul Depla.
In memory of Jacob van Hegten, who was killed by the Nazi regime. The first Stolperstein was placed in Breda in 2022, and since then, several stones have followed for other Breda victims at various locations in the city. More Stolpersteine will follow in the coming years.
Stolpersteine symbolize the preservation of the memory of what happened during World War II and the continuation of the stories of the deceased people.
Monument
The Stolpersteine, or stumbling stones, are a project of the German artist Gunter Demnig. It is a monument for the victims of National Socialism. The Stolpersteine are spread throughout Europe: placed in the sidewalk in front of the former homes of people who were driven out, deported, and murdered by the Nazis. The Stolpersteine in Breda commemorate the murdered Jews, and possibly other groups such as the Sinti and Roma, who were killed during World War II because of their descent.
The Stolpersteine are made of concrete and measure 10 by 10 by 10 centimeters. On the top, there is a brass plate containing the name and date of birth, the deportation date, and the date and place of the murder of the respective person.
Resident of Horticultural Avenue 24
Jacob van Hegten, born in 1890 in Dordrecht, grew up in the Jewish family of Hartog van Hegten and Magcheltje Haas. He lived at Horticultural Avenue from 1936 with his four children and his wife Maria, who was Roman Catholic.
In his free time, Jacob enjoyed boxing, was artistic, and loved the music of The Comedian Harmonists, a famous singing group from Germany. He was a true bon vivant. Something that likely did not bode well for his marriage: Maria wanted to divorce him during the war years, but that process did not go smoothly enough, according to her experience. Therefore, she reported him to the Sicherheitsdienst in Breda in 1943. He was arrested and ended up in Vught camp. Ultimately, he was deported on November 15, 1943, and murdered in Auschwitz on January 31, 1944. After the war, Maria was reported by her children and was prosecuted for her actions. She received an eight-year prison sentence.
