Road maker Gerson Isaza was asked to lay stumbling stones in Haarlem. A special task, which he did not have to think about for long. He said ‘yes’ and since then the stories of deported Jewish Haarlemmers have come to life for him. “I never realized what happened, but now that I’m doing this, I see names and dates of birth. It’s unbelievable that this happened.”
733 stumbling stones are placed in Haarlem. These are small square gold-coloured stones bearing the names of deported Jews from Haarlem. Their birth and death dates are also on it. The stones will lie in front of the houses where they once lived. A special project that is becoming increasingly visible in the city.
Gerson Isaza is touched by the stories of the stones that pass through his hands. He has already been to an official unveiling. “I thought it was intense to be there because of the relatives. You can see the sadness, they had to cry and you still remember that.”
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Isaza does not encounter the stumbling stones himself in the city yet, only when he is on his way for work. But he does plan to take his daughter to a few stumbling stones. “Isn’t it good to learn about history?”
He hopes to lay as many stumbling stones as possible himself. “Maybe I can’t do one for once, because I’m on vacation. But I hope to put as many as possible.”
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