Oeteldonkers gather in the city center of Den Bosch on Carnival Saturday, February 10, for the unveiling of a memorial stone for loved ones who have died. The driving force behind the memorial stone is Sabina Cantiluppi. “You can shed a tear without everyone seeing it.”
It took two years. There were permit processes and discussions with, among others, the municipality and the housing association. But Sabina Cantiluppi from the Den Bosch carnival association made it happen. There will be a memorial stone for deceased Oeteldonkers under the arches of the Knillispoort on Korte Waterstraat.
“That is a beautiful, sheltered spot in the city center. So it is central, but also quiet. You can shed a tear without everyone seeing it,” says Sabina. She herself is a member of the so-called Ministry of Association Affairs and is a member of the Boereparrelement of the Oeteldonksche Club.
According to Sabina, the people she speaks to think it is a great initiative. “People were quickly enthusiastic at the municipality, housing and the Oeteldonksche Club.” She had been thinking about the idea for several years. When people around her disappeared during the corona period, she thought it was time for action.
“There was nothing yet for the people you had a drink with during carnival.”
“I have lost a lot of people in recent years. People who are no longer there during carnival. With whom you always had a drink or always came to watch the parade. There was nothing for those people,” she says.
Sabina decided that the Oeteldonk keel should be placed on the memorial stone. “Because the people are no longer there, I opted for an empty keel. I made the drawing myself. I had help making the mittens and the text.”
“I think it’s going to be an emotional moment.”
The costs of the memorial stone are paid by the Oeteldonksche Club. ‘Burgervoajer’ Peer from den Muggenheuvel will unveil the memorial stone together with the ‘geminteraord’ and the prince’s court chapel on Carnival Saturday. “I think it’s going to be an emotional moment. Not only for me, but also for many other people. They are there because they come to commemorate someone.”
Sabina finds it a special thought that her memorial stone can also be found in the center of Den Bosch after the carnival. “I hope it is a place where people also go after Carnival.”