About this place
Stolperstein dedicated to Vicente Parra Bordetas is a memorial stone set into the pavement on Paseo de Recoletos in Madrid, commemorating a doctor and Republican soldier who was deported to the Dachau concentration camp.
Who was Vicente Parra Bordetas?
Born in 1886, Vicente Parra Bordetas qualified as a doctor in 1908 and practiced first as a rural physician in the province of Toledo, later in Madrid. During the Spanish Civil War he served with the Republican Assault Guard (Guardias de Asalto). When the war ended in 1939, he crossed into France along with thousands of other Republicans in the exodus known as La Retirada.
In France, Vichy police arrested him in 1943 and sent him to the Le Vernet internment camp in the Ariège department. From there, German forces transported him in July and August 1944 aboard the so-called "Ghost Train" (Tren Fantasma) to the Dachau concentration camp. After the camp's liberation in 1945, he became director of the Varsovie Hospital in Toulouse, a facility founded by Spanish Republicans to treat victims of Nazi persecution. He later emigrated to Caracas, Venezuela, where he died in 1967.
What does this memorial stone mark?
A Stolperstein — literally a "stumbling stone" — is a small brass plaque set into a pavement outside the last known home of a victim of Nazism. The project was started by German artist Gunter Demnig and has since grown to hundreds of thousands of stones across Europe. The stone honoring Vicente Parra Bordetas sits at Paseo de Recoletos 31 and reads: "Aquí vivió Vicente Parra Bordetas. Nacido en 1886. Exiliado en Francia. Resistente, Deportado 1944 'Tren Fantasma'. Dachau. Liberado." It is one of eight Stolpersteine placed in Madrid to honor Spanish Republicans deported to Nazi camps.
How to get there?
The stone lies in the heart of Madrid, embedded in the pavement along the stately Paseo de Recoletos, close to number 31. The area is well served by the metro, with Colón and Banco de España stations both a short walk away. Walk slowly and look down — the stone is small and easy to miss among pedestrian traffic.
When to visit?
The site is accessible around the clock, all year, free of charge — it's simply part of the public pavement. Quieter hours, such as early morning, make it easier to pause for a moment without heavy foot traffic. It's worth combining the visit with other historical memory sites nearby, since the Stolpersteine in this part of Madrid form a kind of memory trail.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Vicente Parra Bordetas? A doctor born in 1886 who fought on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War and was deported by German forces to Dachau in 1944. He survived the war and died in exile in Caracas in 1967.
What is a Stolperstein? A brass plaque set into the pavement to commemorate a victim of Nazism at their last known address. The project was initiated by German artist Gunter Demnig.
Where exactly is this stone located? At Paseo de Recoletos 31 in Madrid, near the Colón and Banco de España metro stations.
Is there a fee to visit? No, the stone is on a public pavement and can be visited free of charge at any time.
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