Stolpersteine outside ‘Pik As’

‘Pik As’ is the oldest homeless shelter in Germany. It opened in 1913 as a Polizei-Asyl or ‘police shelter’. The name ‘Pik As’ derives from a slang expression based on the shelter’s official designation at the time: ‘P.As.’. Under the Nazi regime, the building was additionally used as a police prison, and it was eventually placed under the authority of the social welfare department. 17 Stolpersteine were laid outside ‘Pik As’ in memory of homeless homosexual men who were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis. The building is now used as an overnight shelter for homeless men. It is due to be torn down in 2021 and replaced with a new building.