Stolperstein dedicated to Andrés Astorga Sánchez

The Stolperstein dedicated to Andrés Astorga Sánchez is a small brass memorial plaque set into the pavement at Calle Juan Pantoja 24 in Madrid's Tetuán district.

What exactly is a Stolperstein?

Stolpersteine, literally "stumbling stones," are part of a Europe-wide art project started by German artist Gunter Demnig. Small brass plaques are embedded flush with the pavement outside the last freely chosen home of a person persecuted under the Nazi regime. While most stones across Europe commemorate Jewish Holocaust victims, in Spain the project has also been used to honour Republicans who were deported to Nazi concentration camps after the Spanish Civil War. Each stone records a name, a date of birth, and the place and date of death.

Who was Andrés Astorga Sánchez?

Andrés Astorga Sánchez was born on Christmas Eve, 1914. As a Spanish Republican after the civil war, he was deported to the Neuengamme concentration camp in Germany in 1944. He died there on 19 March 1945, only weeks before the end of the war in Europe. For decades his story remained almost unknown even within his own family, until a newspaper article by historians researching the fate of Spanish deportees brought his name to light, allowing relatives to piece together his history and eventually sponsor this memorial stone.

Why is the stone located here specifically?

The Stolpersteine project follows one strict rule: the plaque is placed outside the last address where the person lived by choice, before arrest or deportation. That is why the stone for Andrés Astorga Sánchez sits at Juan Pantoja 24 — the doorstep from which he set out on a journey with no return. Tetuán, one of Madrid's northern districts, holds several such plaques dedicated to residents deported to Nazi camps, making it a meaningful stop on the city's map of historical memory.

How do you get there?

The stone lies on a pavement in Tetuán, a residential district well connected to central Madrid by metro and city buses. The easiest approach is to take the metro to the nearest station serving this part of the district and continue on foot along the neighbourhood streets. It is worth bringing along a list of other Stolpersteine locations in Madrid, since several are clustered in nearby districts, making it possible to plan a short walking route through sites of memory.

What will you actually see?

The stone itself is modest in size — a square brass plate set flush with the surrounding pavement, easy to walk past unless you are specifically looking for it. Its surface is engraved with the person's name, date of birth, details of the deportation, and the date and place of death. The whole point of the design is that passers-by literally "stumble" upon a piece of history they would otherwise walk over without ever knowing who once lived there.

When is the best time to visit?

The stone sits in public space, so it can be visited at any time of day or year, without a ticket or a booking. Daylight hours make it easiest to read the engraving clearly. Visiting is best combined with a quiet walk through Tetuán, a residential district that sees little mass tourism and offers a more everyday side of Madrid.

Frequently asked questions

How is a Stolperstein different from a monument? Unlike a single centralised monument, a Stolperstein is a form of distributed memory — individual stones embedded in pavements at the exact places where victims actually lived.

Is there an entrance fee? No, the stone is located in public space and can be visited free of charge at any time.

Are there other Stolpersteine nearby? Yes, Tetuán and neighbouring districts of Madrid contain several similar plaques dedicated to other residents deported to Nazi concentration camps.

Why is this site worth a visit? It is an authentic, intimate memorial site that recalls the fate of Spanish Republicans during the Second World War — a history less widely known internationally than in other parts of Europe, yet no less significant.