Polishing Memory: Public Cleaning and Guided Tour of Padua’s Stumbling Stones

An initiative that is part of the "City of Ideas 2026–2027" project, supported by the Municipality of Padua

Three free events featuring a guided tour of the Stumbling Stones installed throughout the city, followed by their collective cleaning and polishing.

"Polishing Memory: Public Cleaning and Guided Tour of Padua's Stumbling Stones", organized by the Museum of Jewish Padua, is a series of three free events featuring a guided tour of the Stumbling Stones installed throughout the city, followed by their collective cleaning and polishing.

The Stumbling Stones memorial, created by artist Gunter Demnig to preserve the memory of the victims of Nazi Fascism, will serve as the focal point of a guided tour led by the qualified staff of the Museum of Jewish Padua. The tour will explore the historical processes underlying the discrimination and persecution of Jews and all other victims of the Holocaust between 1938 and 1945, examine the significance and distinctive features of the memorial, and share the personal stories it commemorates. Participants will also have the opportunity to strengthen and reaffirm this historical memory through the symbolic, hands-on act of cleaning and polishing the Stumbling Stones.

The initiative aims to promote historical awareness and preserve the memory of the Holocaust. More broadly, it seeks to encourage the fight against all forms of racial discrimination and antisemitism while fostering the values of inclusion and respect for cultural, ethnic, gender, religious, and social diversity.

Each event will take the form of a guided walking tour through the city, with stops at selected Stumbling Stones to share the stories of the individuals they commemorate. Participants will also be invited, in turn, to take part in cleaning and polishing the Stones, making the experience more engaging while encouraging a shared sense of care, responsibility, and stewardship for the city and its public spaces.

The three events include:

1) Sunday, 20 September, 11:00 a.m. – Guided tour and collective cleaning of the Stumbling Stones on Via delle Piazze, Via San Martino e Solferino, Via dell’Arco, and Via dei Fabbri (17 Stumbling Stones).

2) Sunday, 25 October, 11:00 a.m. – Guided tour and collective cleaning of the Stumbling Stones on Via Prati, Via Barbarigo, Via Roma, Via VIII Febbraio, Via Damiano Chiesa, and Piazza del Santo (17 Stumbling Stones).

3) Sunday, 29 November, 11:00 a.m. – Guided tour and collective cleaning of the Stumbling Stones on Via Calatafimi and Via Petrarca (6 Stumbling Stones).

Each tour will last approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes and is suitable for all audiences.

EVENTS WITH FREE PARTICIPATION BUT ADVANCE BOOKING REQUIRED

Information and bookings:

e-mail: museo@padovaebraica.it | +39 376 2256076 (WhatsApp)

Phone: 049 661267