Josef Stock was born on October 28, 1934, in Wiesbaden as the son of the merchant James Stock. James (formerly Isidor) Stock came from Poland but possed German nationality. Joseph's mother, Johanna Stock, née Moses, came from Wetzlar. Joseph had a three-year-old sister named Rosel.

The Stock family lived under severe economic conditions. They lived in Wiesbaden in a small apartment in the backyard of the house at Walramstraße 31. In September 1939, the authorities moved James and Johanna Stock with their two small children to the Mühlthal homeless settlement and subsequently to the Ghettohaus Ludwigstraße 3 the following year. In this situation, the parents had to send Josef Stock to the Neu-Isenburg Home of the Jewish Women’s Association.

On June 10, 1942, James, Johanna, Josef, and Rosel Stock were sent to Frankfurt and then deported from there one day later to the Lublin district. There, James Stock was selected along with other capable men for forced labor in the Majdanek concentration camp. The 43-year-old died on July 19, 1942, in the Majdanek camp.

Josef Stock, his mother, and sister were taken from Lublin to the Sobibór extermination camp where they were murdered a few hours after their arrival. Joseph was seven years old at the time while his sister, Rosel was five years old.

Sources: Stadtarchiv Neu-Isenburg; Spiegelgasse Active Museum of German-Jewish History in Wiesbaden, Commemoration Leaflets