The first ceremony was the revelation of a a couple so-called “stumbling stones” (Stolperstein) to commemorate Charlotte and Walter Neumann. Stumbling stones are brass plaques intended to remind passers-by of the victims of National Socialism. These pavement inserts are usually installed in front of their last address of choice. Walter Neumann, a jewish entrepreneur, was the owner and manager of the shoe factory “J. & C.A. Schneider”. Neumann supported Eintracht Frankfurt not only through his sponsorship, but also by employing Eintracht players at his shoe factory, thereby offering both necessary job security as well as flexibility in terms of working hours, so that the team members could regularly attend training sessions.
In 1933 Neumann had to stop his support for Eintracht Frankfurt. After he was forced by the Nazi regime to sell all his shares in in the shoe company, he quickly realized that Germany was no longer a safe place for his family. The Neumann’s fled to England via Amsterdam in 1936 and finally settled in Blackburn, where Walter Neumann started the very successful shoe manufacturing company “Newman’s Slippers Ltd.”. His grandchildren Michael and Andrew Newman travelled to Frankfurt to attend the installation ceremony. The stumbling stones can be seen in Frankfurt’s Kennedyallee 89.
(The "stumbling stones")
After the stumbling stone ceremony, another memorial was unvealed looking back on Eintracht Frankfurt supporters who were prosecuted in the Third Reich. Initiated by the “Frankfurter Fanprojekt” the installation of the sculpture near the Commerzbank Arena features the silhouette of a football fan, in memory of all Eintracht supporters who could no longer come to the stadium to support their team.
A great place to experience the history of Eintracht Frankfurt is the club museum which has an English language guide also. For more info check the Eintracht Frankfurt Museum section and the English language brochure.
(The "football fan" sculpture near Frankfurt stadium).
Images: Axel Hoffmann
