Stolperstein dedicated to Juan Martín de Loeches García Morales

The Stolperstein dedicated to Juan Martín de Loeches García Morales is one of the small "stumbling stones" set into the pavement of Madrid to mark the former home of a resident deported by the Nazi regime to concentration camps. This particular stone sits in the Ciudad Lineal district, on calle del Apóstol Santiago, at the address where the victim lived before his arrest and deportation.

What exactly is a Stolperstein?

A Stolperstein (German for "stumbling stone") is a small, 10-by-10-centimetre concrete cube topped with a brass plate engraved with the name and key facts of a victim of Nazi persecution. The project was started by German artist Gunter Demnig in the early 1990s and now counts more than 75,000 stones laid across more than 20 European countries. Each stone is placed in the pavement outside the last address the victim freely chose to live at before arrest or deportation — bringing the memory back into ordinary street life rather than confining it to a museum plaque.

Who was Juan Martín de Loeches García Morales?

This stone in Ciudad Lineal commemorates a resident of the district who was deported to the Mauthausen and Gusen concentration camps, a notoriously brutal camp complex in Austria that received thousands of Spanish prisoners following the Spanish Civil War and the outbreak of the Second World War. Madrid's city council, together with the victim's family and the local community, held a tribute ceremony for district residents deported to Nazi camps, during which this stone was unveiled alongside others. Madrid is one of the Spanish cities where the Stolpersteine programme has grown most, with the city approaching a hundred installed memorial stones.

Where exactly is the stone?

The stone is set into the pavement at calle del Apóstol Santiago 29, in Ciudad Lineal, in the northeastern part of Madrid. It's a quiet residential street typical of this part of the city, away from tourist crowds — which makes a visit feel like a personal, quiet act of remembrance rather than a stop on a busy sightseeing route.

How do you get there?

Ciudad Lineal is well connected to central Madrid by metro; the nearest stations on lines 5 and 7 are a reasonable walk from calle del Apóstol Santiago. Several EMT bus routes also serve the district. Given the nature of the site — a single stone set into an ordinary residential pavement — it's best approached as a short, quiet walk, ideally combined with a wider route covering some of the several dozen Stolpersteine already placed around Madrid.

When is the best time to visit?

The site can be visited at any time of year, since it's simply a public street rather than a monument with opening hours. Madrid regularly holds anniversary walks and remembrance events connected to deportation victims, especially in spring and autumn; joining one of these is a good way to learn more about the individual stories behind the stones and the history of the district.

Frequently asked questions

How does a Stolperstein differ from a regular memorial plaque? A Stolperstein is set directly into the pavement at the exact spot where the victim actually lived — a physical restoration of their presence in the fabric of the city, rather than a plaque on a public building or inside a museum.

Is it easy to miss the stone? Yes — the stones are small and flush with the paving, so it's worth checking the exact address and coordinates beforehand rather than expecting to stumble across it by chance.

Are there more stones like this in Madrid? Yes, Madrid has one of the larger collections of Stolpersteine in Spain, spread across several districts, including a number within Ciudad Lineal itself.

Is there an entrance fee? No — the stone sits in a public street and can be visited freely, at any time, at no cost.