Stolperstein dedicated to Adele Bocková

The Stolperstein dedicated to Adele Bocková is a small memorial stone set into the pavement on Orlí street in the centre of Brno. Its brass plate commemorates a woman deported by the Germans to the Theresienstadt ghetto and, from there, to her death in Riga during the Second World War.

Who was Adele Bocková?

Adele Bocková, née Parille, was born in 1885. She lived on what is now Orlí street in Brno, the address from which she was deported in 1941 to the Theresienstadt (Terezín) ghetto, set up by the Germans as a transit point for Jewish residents of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. From Theresienstadt she was sent on a further transport to Riga, Latvia, where she was murdered in 1942. The transports from Theresienstadt to Riga in late 1941 and early 1942 were among the first mass deportations of Jews from the Czech lands to the east, and few of those sent on them survived the war.

At the same address, Orlí 26, a second stone commemorates Leopold Bock, who shared her surname — together the two Stolpersteine form a small joint memorial linked to this building.

What will you see on site?

A Stolperstein is a roughly 10-by-10-centimetre concrete cube topped with a brass plate, engraved with the person's name, maiden name, year of birth, and the year and place of both deportation and death. The stone is set flush with the pavement, directly in front of the building where the commemorated person lived. It belongs to the wider European project created by German artist Gunter Demnig; Brno alone already has several dozen such stones honouring victims of the Holocaust and the occupation. The stone for Adele Bocková was unveiled on 29 October 2012, commissioned by Dr Ivo Bock from Bremen.

How do you get there?

The stone lies on Orlí street, right in the historic centre of Brno, close to Zelný trh (Cabbage Market) and the main streets of the old town. It is easily reached on foot from Náměstí Svobody or by tram to a stop in the city centre, followed by a short walk. As it sits on a public pavement, it can be visited at any time, without restriction.

When should you visit?

There is no fixed opening time — the stone can be seen at any hour, in any season. A daytime visit makes it easier to read the small engraved brass plate. Visitors with a particular interest in Holocaust history may want to plan a trip around 27 January, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or around 29 October, the anniversary of the stone's unveiling.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Stolperstein? It is a brass-topped paving stone set into the pavement outside a Nazi victim's last known home, part of a Europe-wide memorial project created by German artist Gunter Demnig.

Who was Adele Bocková? A woman born in 1885 who lived on Orlí street in Brno, deported in 1941 to Theresienstadt, and murdered in 1942 in Riga.

Is there an entrance fee? No — the stone sits on a public pavement and can be viewed free of charge at any time.

Are there other Stolpersteine nearby? Yes, a stone for Leopold Bock stands at the same address, and Brno has several dozen similar memorial stones scattered across the city centre.