Stolperstein dedicated to Miguel Santos Alonso

The Stolperstein for Miguel Santos Alonso sits in the heart of Madrid, at Calle de San Andrés 33, in the Malasaña neighbourhood. It's a small brass memorial cobblestone set into the pavement — one of several hundred such stones that have appeared across the Spanish capital since 2019.

What is a Stolperstein?

A "Stolperstein" (literally a "stumbling stone") is a memorial project started in Germany in the 1990s by artist Günter Demnig. Each stone carries a small brass plate embedded in the pavement in front of a victim's last known home, engraved with their name, year of birth, deportation details, and — where known — the date and place of death. Demnig personally laid Madrid's first eight stones on 26 April 2019; the city eventually plans to install 449 of them, commemorating residents who were deported to Nazi camps.

Who was Miguel Santos Alonso?

Miguel Santos Alonso was born in Madrid on 8 May 1916, the son of Geminiano Santos and Andrea Alonso. He had a brother, Jesús, and a sister, Nieves; Jesús, who was also deported, has his own memorial stone at the same address. Miguel was training to become a doctor when the Spanish Civil War broke out and interrupted his studies. During the war he served as an auxiliary medical worker with the Republican forces.

After the war he went into exile in France. On 24 April 1944, the Gestapo arrested him at the Montfort sanatorium in Montmélian, Savoy, following a tip-off from Paul Touvier, a French collaborationist militia officer. He was held at the Compiègne transit camp, then deported on 21 May 1944 aboard convoy 1214 to the Neuengamme concentration camp in northern Germany, arriving on 24 May and receiving prisoner number 32,060.

He died on 3 May 1945, just days before the war's end, in the Baltic Sea off Neustadt in Holstein. He was among thousands of Neuengamme prisoners evacuated onto ships that were mistakenly bombed by the British Royal Air Force, who believed they were military vessels. In 2020, his ring — recovered from the Arolsen Archives — surfaced as one of the few personal items that survived him.

How do you get there?

The stone lies at Calle de San Andrés 33, right in central Madrid's Malasaña district, a short walk from Tribunal metro station (lines 1 and 10) or Bilbao (lines 1 and 4). Look for a small, polished brass square set flush into the pavement in front of the building entrance — easy to walk past if you don't know it's there.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

Malasaña is one of Madrid's most distinctive neighbourhoods, full of narrow streets, cafés, vintage shops and lively bars. Several other Stolpersteine sit nearby, including his brother Jesús's stone, making it easy to combine a walk through the district with a brief encounter with 20th-century history. It's a good spot to pause and reflect on the fate of Madrid residents caught up in Nazi persecution.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the inscription on the stone say? It gives the victim's name, year of birth, deportation details, and — when known — the date and place of death.

Is this the only stone of its kind in Madrid? No. The city plans to lay 449 such stones in total; the first eight were installed in 2019, and the project is still ongoing.

Can you visit it as part of an ordinary city walk? Yes — it's set into a regular pavement in central Madrid and can be seen for free while walking through Malasaña.

Who was Paul Touvier, mentioned in Miguel's story? A French collaborationist militia official later wanted for war crimes; his tip-off led to Miguel Santos Alonso's arrest.