Stolperstein dedicated to Jesús Santos Alonso

The Stolperstein dedicated to Jesús Santos Alonso sits on the pavement of Calle de San Andrés 33, in Madrid's Malasaña neighbourhood. It's a small brass memorial plaque set into the sidewalk — one of the "stumbling stones" found in hundreds of European cities, each marking the last known home of a person deported or killed under the Nazi regime.

What exactly is a Stolperstein?

A Stolperstein (German for "stumbling stone") is a 10x10x10 cm cobblestone-sized block topped with a brass plate, an ongoing project by German artist Gunter Demnig. Each plate is laid directly outside the victim's last known address and engraved with their name, birth year, and what happened to them. The "Stolpersteine Madrid" initiative brought the concept to Spain, honouring residents deported to Nazi concentration camps — largely Republican exiles and refugees who were captured after the Spanish Civil War and the fall of France, then sent east.

Who was Jesús Santos Alonso?

Jesús Santos Alonso was a physician who lived at Calle de San Andrés 33. The stone at this address was laid in his memory alongside one for his brother, Miguel Santos Alonso, also a doctor — both siblings received their stones on the same day. At the unveiling, flowers were placed beneath the plaques by their nieces, a reminder that the family's memory is still very much alive in the city.

How do you get there?

Calle de San Andrés runs through the heart of Malasaña, a short walk from Plaza Dos de Mayo and the Bilbao or Noviciado metro stations (Line 2). It's a narrow, café-lined street typical of the neighbourhood — easy to walk past without noticing the stone, since it sits flush with the pavement right in front of a building entrance.

What will you actually see?

Just the plaque itself: a small, polished brass square set among the grey paving stones. That contrast is intentional — the idea is for passers-by to literally stumble on it with their eyes, stop, and read the name of someone who once lived exactly there before history violently cut their life short. Walking a little further through Malasaña and neighbouring Chueca, you'll find more Stolpersteine — part of a growing network laid across Madrid since 2022 to commemorate Spanish victims of Nazism.

When should you visit?

This isn't a sight with opening hours — it's a memorial embedded in a public street, visible any time of day or night. The best moment to see it is whenever you can slow down enough to actually read the inscription rather than rush past it. It pairs naturally with a wander through Malasaña's cafés, galleries, and vintage shops, but it's worth remembering the stone deserves a moment of quiet attention, not just a quick photo.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Stolperstein a grave marker? No. It's a symbolic memorial placed at the victim's former home, not a burial site.

Why is the stone located exactly here? Because Jesús Santos Alonso lived at Calle de San Andrés 33 before his deportation — Stolpersteine are always installed outside the victim's last known address.

Are there other Stolpersteine nearby? Yes. Malasaña and the adjoining Chueca district have seen more than a dozen stones laid since 2022 as part of the Stolpersteine Madrid project, commemorating other neighbours deported to Nazi camps.

Is there an entrance fee? No — it's a public sidewalk, freely accessible at any time.