Stolperstein dedicated to Pedro Díaz Clemente

The Stolperstein dedicated to Pedro Díaz Clemente is a small brass memorial stone set into the pavement at Calle Virtudes 22 in Madrid's Chamberí district. It belongs to a network of several hundred such stones scattered across the Spanish capital, each marking the life of a city resident who died in a Nazi concentration camp during the Second World War.

What is this place?

A Stolperstein (German for "stumbling stone") is part of an international memorial project, originating in Germany, that commemorates victims of Nazi persecution at the site of the last home they chose to live in before deportation. The stone dedicated to Pedro Díaz Clemente carries a brief but precise record: the victim's name, the date of deportation, and the date of death. According to available records, Pedro Díaz Clemente was deported to Mauthausen concentration camp on 27 January 1941, transferred to the Gusen subcamp on 17 February 1941, and died there on 18 December 1941.

This single stone belongs to a wider, lesser-known chapter of Spanish history. After the Spanish Civil War ended in 1939, thousands of Republicans and opponents of the Franco regime fled to France to escape reprisals. Many of them were later captured following the German occupation of France and deported to Nazi concentration camps, including Mauthausen-Gusen. Historians estimate that more than 9,000 Spanish prisoners passed through Nazi camps, of whom around 5,000 did not survive.

How do you get there?

The stone sits in open public space — embedded in the pavement at Calle Virtudes 22, in a quiet residential part of Chamberí, close to central Madrid. It can be reached on foot at any time, free of charge, with no ticket or reservation required. It's worth combining a visit with a longer walk through Chamberí, since the district and its surrounding streets hold a number of similar stones dedicated to other victims.

What will you see on site?

The stone itself is small — a brass plaque roughly the size of a standard paving block, set flush with the pavement so it never rises above street level. Its surface is engraved with the victim's name and the key dates of their fate. The design is deliberate: rather than a monument that towers over passers-by, it is a marker that asks you to look down, almost to pause over it. Many Madrid residents and visitors to Chamberí walk past these stones every day without noticing them, which makes it worth slowing down to read the inscription.

When should you visit?

The stone can be visited at any time, day or night, throughout the year, as it forms part of the public pavement. It is worth noting that 27 January marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a date around which Madrid often hosts additional events and themed walks dedicated to the city's Stolpersteine and the history of Spanish victims of Nazism.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Stolperstein? A brass plaque set into the pavement, commemorating a victim of Nazi persecution at the site of their last chosen home before deportation.

Who was Pedro Díaz Clemente? A man deported to Mauthausen concentration camp in January 1941, later transferred to the Gusen subcamp, where he died in December of the same year.

Is there a fee to visit the stone? No. It sits on a public pavement and is freely accessible at all times.

Are there other similar stones nearby? Yes. Chamberí and other parts of Madrid contain several hundred Stolpersteine dedicated to other residents of the city who fell victim to Nazi camps.