Stolperstein dedicated to Florentino García Hernández

The Stolperstein dedicated to Florentino García Hernández is a small brass memorial stone set into a pavement in Madrid, in the Salamanca district, at Calle de Concepción Bahamonde 5. It belongs to the growing European network of Stolpersteine — "stumbling stones" — that mark the last known homes of people persecuted or murdered by the Nazi regime. Madrid alone now holds several hundred of these stones, each one carrying a real name rather than an anonymous statistic.

Who does this stone commemorate?

Florentino García Hernández was born in 1897. Like thousands of other Spanish Republicans, he went into exile in France after the Spanish Civil War. When France fell during the Second World War, many Spanish refugees ended up in the hands of the German occupying authorities. García Hernández was interned at Gneixendorf, and in 1941 he was deported to Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, one of the harshest camps in the Nazi system. He was later transferred to the Ebensee subcamp, where prisoners were forced to work under extreme conditions on underground armaments facilities. García Hernández survived his imprisonment and lived to see liberation.

How do you get there?

The stone sits on the pavement outside the building at Calle de Concepción Bahamonde 5, in a quiet residential corner of the Salamanca district, east of central Madrid. The metro is the simplest way in — the nearest stations serving this part of the city are a short walk away. It's worth combining this stop with a look at other Stolpersteine scattered across Madrid, particularly in the neighbouring Retiro and Centro districts, where the plaques are most densely clustered.

What will you actually see?

The Stolperstein itself is a small, square brass plate set flush with the pavement, engraved with the person's name, birth year, and the key dates of their deportation. There's no monument or information panel in the traditional sense — the whole idea behind the Stolperstein project is that passers-by "stumble" visually on a real name, exactly where that person once lived. It's a modest but affecting site, best visited as part of a wider walk through places connected to the history of Spanish deportees.

When is the best time to visit?

The stone can be seen year-round, at any hour, since it's simply part of the pavement with no opening times. Morning or afternoon light works best for reading the engraving and taking a photo, when the street isn't in shadow. If you want a quiet moment to pause, it helps to avoid the busiest rush-hour times on this residential street.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is a Stolperstein? It's a small brass stone set into the pavement in front of the last known home of a person persecuted or killed under the Nazi regime. The project was started by German artist Gunter Demnig and now spans many European cities, Madrid included.

Did Florentino García Hernández survive the war? Yes. After internment and deportation to Mauthausen, and later to the Ebensee subcamp, he lived to see the camp's liberation.

Is there an entrance fee? No. The stone is set in a public pavement and can be visited free of charge at any time.

Are there other Stolpersteine nearby? Yes. Madrid has a network of several hundred such stones, with a particularly dense concentration in the Centro and Retiro districts, making it easy to plan a short memorial walk.