Steen van de miljoenen tranen, War memorial at Willem Ruyslaan, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The Stone of Millions of Tears is a war memorial made of granite located at Willem Ruyslaan that honors victims of World War II. The monument measures about 4 feet tall (1.2 meters) and 13 feet wide (4 meters), featuring water that flows down over fractured stone surfaces.
The memorial marks the spot where Rotterdam was bombed in May 1940, completely destroying the surrounding buildings in that area. The stone monument was later built as a lasting reminder of those devastating bombing raids.
The work was created by resistance fighter and artist Truus Menger-Oversteegen, who drew on her own wartime experiences to shape this memorial. The combination of stone and water speaks to grief and remembrance for the civilians who died during the war.
The memorial is located on Willem Ruyslaan, near streets named after wartime victims, making it easy to find and reach on foot. The site is open to the public and visible from the street without any barriers or restrictions.
A small fountain mechanism at the top of the granite continuously pumps water down the face of the stone, while visible drill holes on the sides show the manual craftsmanship involved. These details reveal how carefully the artist designed every element of the work.
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