Stolperstein dedicated to Agustin Barrios Ortiz

The Stolperstein dedicated to Agustín Barrios Ortiz is a small memorial stone set into the pavement of Plaza de la Constitución in Ciempozuelos, in the Community of Madrid. Visitors who come across it are standing in front of one of thousands of similar markers scattered across Europe, each one naming a specific victim of Nazi persecution.

What exactly is a Stolperstein?

A Stolperstein — German for "stumbling stone" — is a brass plaque set flush into the paving. The project was launched in 1992 by German artist Gunter Demnig. The stones are placed outside the last known home of a victim of Nazism: Jews, Roma, political prisoners, forced labourers, or people deported to concentration camps. Tens of thousands have been laid across Europe to date, and the network reaches a number of towns in Spain, including several municipalities in the Madrid region.

Who was Agustín Barrios Ortiz?

Agustín Barrios Ortiz lived in Ciempozuelos and was deported by Nazi Germany as one of the Spanish Republicans who fell into German hands after the Spanish Civil War ended in the Republic's defeat. On 25 January 1941 he was sent, together with 773 other Spaniards, to the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. He died there on 30 November 1941. His story is one of many similar ones: Spanish Republicans who, after losing the civil war, ended up in the hands of Nazi Germany and were channelled into its concentration camp system.

How do you get to Plaza de la Constitución?

Plaza de la Constitución sits in the centre of Ciempozuelos, a town roughly 30 km south of Madrid. Driving is the easiest option — the town lies along the road connecting Madrid and Aranjuez, and parking near the square is generally easy to find. Regional buses also run from Madrid via the Consorcio Regional de Transportes network; the stop in central Ciempozuelos is a short walk from the square.

What will you actually see?

The stone itself is small and easy to miss if you don't already know where to look. Its inscription gives the name, the deportation date, and the place and date of death. Plaza de la Constitución is otherwise an ordinary, lived-in town square, ringed by public buildings and cafés, so a stop at the stone fits naturally into a short walk around the town centre.

When is the best time to visit?

There's no particular season for this stop — the stone sits in open public space and can be seen at any time of year, at any hour of the day. The one thing worth avoiding is the peak heat of the Madrid region's midsummer, when walking around town at midday is far less pleasant.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entrance fee? No. The stone sits in a public square and can be seen free of charge at any time.

Do you need a guide to find it? Not really — Plaza de la Constitución is small, and the stone is set into the paving near the centre of the square.

When was this particular stone laid? The stone dedicated to Agustín Barrios Ortiz was unveiled on 1 December 2023, on the initiative of the Ciempozuelos town council.

Are there other similar memorials nearby? Yes. The Stolperstein network extends to other towns in the Madrid region, where stones commemorate other Spanish Republicans deported to Nazi camps.