Information: Wikipedia

A Stolperstein literally "stumbling stone", metaphorically a "stumbling block" is a sett-size, 10 by 10 centimetres (3.9 in × 3.9 in) concrete cube bearing a brass plate inscribed with the name and life dates of victims of Nazi extermination or persecution.

The Stolpersteine project, initiated by the German artist Gunter Demnig in 1992, aims to commemorate individuals at exactly the last place of residency—or, sometimes, work—which was freely chosen by the person before he or she fell victim to Nazi terror, euthanasia, eugenics, was deported to a concentration or extermination camp, or escaped persecution by emigration or suicide. As of 29 March 2018, over 67,000 Stolpersteine have been laid in 22 countries, making the Stolpersteine project the world's largest decentralized memorial.

The majority of Stolpersteine commemorate Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Others have been placed for Sinti and Romani people (then also called "gypsies"), homosexuals, the physically or mentally disabled, Jehovah's Witnesses, black people, members of the Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the anti-Nazi Resistance, the Christian opposition (both Protestants and Catholics), and Freemasons, along with International Brigade soldiers in the Spanish Civil War, military deserters, conscientious objectors, escape helpers, capitulators, "habitual criminals", looters, and others charged with treason, military disobedience, or undermining the Nazi military, as well as Allied soldiers.

List of Stolpersteine in the city of Zonnebeke

Beselarestraat 41: EMILE DIERYCKX

Ieperstraat 50: CHARLES LEMAHIEU

Ryselbosstraat 10: BRUNO SCHOUTTETEN

Emile Dieryckx was born on 16 April 1887 in Torhout, married to Maria Vandecaveye and father of 7 children. Emile was a farmer by profession.

He was arrested during the raid on Tuesday 8 August 1944 on suspicion of helping resistance fighters in hiding, sheltering work refusers including his two sons and distributing clandestine press.  He was also locked up in the “Klein Seminarie” of Roeselare and transferred to Ghent the same day. He arrived in Neuengamme at the beginning of September but after that all trace of him was lost for a long time. During recent research in the archives we found a death certificate from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Emile is said to have died there on 29 November 1944. Despite the chaos in Bergen - Belsen towards the end of the war, Emile had a registered grave there. He was repatriated in 1961 and buried in the crypt of the municipal cemetery in Zonnebeke.

Charles was born on 17 September 1924 in Pérenchies, near Lille and had the French nationality.  He was the son of Georges Lemahieu and Antoinette Declercq, not married and a mechanic by profession.

Charles was arrested in Zonnebeke on Sunday 20 June 1943, at that time he was living with his grandmother Maria Delaere who ran a grocery store there.  He had challenged a German soldier and had to run away but was arrested after a short chase. In order to have a valid reason for this arrest, the Germans stated that Charles had 'incriminating' documents in his possession. Charles was transferred to Kortrijk and stayed there until 20 June 1944, after which he was deported to a penal camp in Siegburg. He died there from typhus on 17 March 1945.

Bruno Schoutteten was born in Beselare on 13 April 1913, married to Madeleine Homey and he was a farmer, flax worker.  The family had three children:  Jozef, born in 1941, Marie-Rose, born in 1942 and Henriette, born in 1944. 

Bruno was arrested during the raid of 8 August 1944 on suspicion of receiving and distributing illegal press, providing shelter to his brother Maurice, a member of the OF and providing shelter to work refuses. Bruno was locked up in the “Klein Seminarie” of Roeselare and transferred to the prison in Ghent that same day. At the end of August he was deported to Neuengamme where he was put to work in the brickworks. Hunger, illness and abuse were ultimately fatal to him and Bruno died on 14 November 1944 in Neuengamme.