Stolperstein dedicated to Pablo Agraz Alonso

The Stolperstein dedicated to Pablo Agraz Alonso is a small memorial plaque set into a Madrid pavement at Calle de José Antonio Armona 4. It belongs to the "stumbling stone" project that marks the last known address of victims of Nazi persecution, and it commemorates a Spanish republican deported to a Nazi concentration camp during the Second World War.

Who was Pablo Agraz Alonso?

Pablo Agraz Alonso was born on 17 May 1908 in Salamanca. Like many Spanish republicans, he went into exile in France after the defeat of the Republic in the Spanish Civil War. On 4 June 1940, at Bray-Dunes, he was captured by German troops. He was placed on a deportation transport and arrived at Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria on 9 August 1940, registered as prisoner number 3662, part of the second convoy of Spanish republicans sent to the camp.

Over the following years he was moved between several forced-labour sites: the granite quarry at Mauthausen, the Gusen subcamp where he worked in a munitions factory, a return to the Mauthausen main camp, and finally, from November 1943 to May 1945, the Ebensee external kommando, where prisoners were forced to dig underground tunnels for V-1 and V-2 rocket production. Agraz survived and was liberated by American forces on 6 May 1945. He then settled in Paris, where he died on 21 March 1963 at the age of 54, from the long-term effects of his years of internment. He is buried in the Bagneux cemetery near Paris.

What will you see on site?

A Stolperstein is a small, roughly 10-by-10-centimetre concrete cube topped with a brass plate. The engraved text gives the person's name, birth date, deportation date, and, where known, the place and date of death. Each stone is set into the pavement outside the building linked to the victim's last chosen residence before deportation — part of a wider European project created by German artist Gunter Demnig and now found in hundreds of cities, including Madrid.

How do you get there?

The stone sits on Calle de José Antonio Armona 4, in central Madrid, close to several other Stolpersteine scattered through the neighbourhood's streets. The easiest way to reach it is by metro to a central station, followed by a short walk. Since it is embedded in a public street, it can be viewed at any time.

When should you visit?

There is no set opening time or season — the stone is visible around the clock as part of the pavement. Daylight hours make it easier to read the engraving on the brass plate, so a daytime visit is recommended. Visitors interested in the history of Spanish republican deportees may also want to plan a trip around 27 January, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, when Madrid often hosts additional commemorative events.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Stolperstein? It is a brass-topped paving stone set into the pavement at a Nazi victim's last known address, part of a Europe-wide memorial project started by German artist Gunter Demnig.

Why is Pablo Agraz Alonso's stone in Madrid? Madrid has strong historical ties to Spanish republicans and their descendants, and local memorial initiatives place these stones here to honour deportation victims even when the events themselves took place elsewhere.

Is there an entrance fee? No — the stone is set into a public pavement and can be viewed free of charge at any time.

Are there other Stolpersteine nearby? Yes, Madrid has several dozen such memorial stones, often clustered in a few central neighbourhoods, so it is worth planning a short walking route to see more than one.