Cleaning the Stones

Dear citizens,

Since the 7th Stolperstein installation on June 28th, there are now 152 memorial stones in Heidelberg commemorating former Heidelberg residents who were persecuted, expelled, deported, and most were murdered during the Nazi era.

Unfortunately, many more names remain to be remembered in the coming years.

According to Gunter Demnig, the memorial plaques are kept clean by many shoes walking over them.

However, many pedestrians likely make a respectful detour around the memorial stones. Additionally, weather conditions take their toll, and we repeatedly find Stolpersteine whose inscriptions are barely legible.

Until now, some of us from our initiative have occasionally gone out with brass polish and cleaning cloths in our pockets, which quickly turn black from the tarnish on the brass plaques.

Given the now considerable number of Stolpersteine to maintain, it has become difficult for us to keep track of all of them and clean them regularly—especially since many of us are no longer young.

We therefore ask for your help in keeping an eye on the stones you encounter daily in front of houses, to preserve their shine and legibility.

With heartfelt thanks in advance!

The Stolpersteine Heidelberg Initiative