On 6 November 2019 Gunter Demnig laid four stumbling stones for homosexual victims of National Socialism. Thomas Zeitler sponsored the laying of the stone für Hans Stolle, who committed suicide whilst in remand prison.

Hans Stolle was born on 18 January 1892 in Berlin. A trained actor, he worked from 1918 in theatres in Leipzig, Görlitz, Meiningen, Bern and (coming to the city in autumn 1935) in Nuremberg.

Early on, Stolle sought to make the acquaintance of other homosexuals. Soon after his arrival in Nuremberg – in the “Luitpold-Automat” self-service restaurant, situated in the old town area of Nuremberg – he met a 23-year-old dental technician, with whom he subsequently had intimate contact on several occasions. The young man told two of his acquaintances that he had a relationship with Stolle and they took advantage of the situation: they went to his flat several times, threatening to inform the police. In this way they were able to blackmail Stolle, receiving money and food from the actor.

Denounced by one of the blackmailers, Stolle was arrested by police in October 1936. Officers now began to investigate his circle of friends, trying to prove that he had sexual relationships with other men. During questioning, Stolle remained steadfast and refused to give the names of his sexual partners to the police. He eventually told them that he had been blackmailed. However, Stolle must have quickly abandoned all hope, seeing no way out other than suicide. Before charges were brought against him, he hanged himself in his cell in the remand prison on 23 October 1936.