Stolperstein dedicated to Tomás Gonzáles Hurtado

The Stolperstein dedicated to Tomás González Hurtado is a small memorial stone set into the pavement in Fuenlabrada, a city south of Madrid. This modest brass cobblestone draws attention to the fate of one specific resident of the city whose life was cut short by the Nazi machinery of terror — and his story forms part of a much wider European memorial project.

What is a Stolperstein?

A Stolperstein (literally a "stumbling stone") is a small brass plaque set into the pavement outside the last known residence of a victim of the Nazi regime. The project was started by German artist Günter Demnig, and its purpose is to restore the memory of people who were deported, imprisoned, or killed during the Second World War — not as anonymous statistics, but as named individuals, commemorated at the exact spot where they once lived. In Spain these stones are sometimes called "ladrillos de la memoria" (memory bricks), and they recall the fate of Spanish Republican refugees who, after the civil war, fell into the hands of the German apparatus of terror.

Who was Tomás González Hurtado?

Tomás González Hurtado was a resident of Fuenlabrada who fled to France after the end of the Spanish Civil War. When the Second World War broke out, he was caught up, along with thousands of other Spanish Republicans, in the German occupation apparatus and was deported to the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp in Austria — one of the most brutal camps in the Nazi system, where forced-labor conditions led to mass death among prisoners. The memorial stone in Fuenlabrada restores his name to the city's public memory.

Where is the memorial stone located?

The Stolperstein dedicated to Tomás González Hurtado sits in Plaza de la Constitución, in the center of Fuenlabrada, right next to a monument dedicated to the victims of the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings. A second stone was laid at the same spot, commemorating Luis Fernández Aguado, Fuenlabrada's first Republican mayor, who was executed by the Franco regime. Together, the two stones form a small but meaningful site of memory at the heart of the city.

When was this stone laid?

The stone was installed on 6 May 2021, as part of a local initiative to restore the memory of victims of Francoism and Nazism connected to Fuenlabrada. It follows the method established by Günter Demnig, creator of the pan-European Stolpersteine project, which by now includes tens of thousands of similar stones across many European countries.

How do you get there?

Plaza de la Constitución is Fuenlabrada's central square, easily reached on foot from anywhere in the city or by public transport connecting Fuenlabrada with Madrid. It's a good spot to combine a short, reflective visit with the rest of your sightseeing in the city, since the square sits close to other historic points in the center.

What else is there to see nearby?

Right beside the memorial stone stands the monument to the victims of the 11-M bombings, along with the second Stolperstein dedicated to Luis Fernández Aguado. It's worth pausing at both stones for a moment — this spot connects different but related episodes of twentieth-century Spanish history: the civil war, Francoism, and the Nazi concentration camps.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Stolperstein? A brass plaque set into the pavement to commemorate a specific person persecuted, deported, or killed by the Nazi regime. The project was started by German artist Günter Demnig.

Who was Tomás González Hurtado? A resident of Fuenlabrada who fled to France after the Spanish Civil War and was later deported by the Germans to the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp in Austria.

Where does the memorial stone stand? In Plaza de la Constitución in Fuenlabrada, next to the monument to the victims of the 11-M bombings, alongside a second stone dedicated to Luis Fernández Aguado.

When was this stone laid? On 6 May 2021, as part of a local initiative to restore the memory of victims of Francoism and Nazism.