A memorial stone for deceased Oeteldonkers was unveiled on Saturday afternoon amid great interest in the city center of Oeteldonk (Den Bosch). The memorial stone is placed under the arches of the Knillispoort on the Korte Waterstraat.
The driving force behind the memorial stone is Sabina Cantiluppi. “You can shed a tear without everyone seeing it,” she says. “This is a beautiful, sheltered spot in the city center. It is central, but also quiet.”
Sabina 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. The memorial stone shows an Oeteldonk keel, an empty keel because the people being commemorated are no longer there.
On Saturday afternoon, immediately after the unveiling at 2.33 pm, it became clear that the memorial stone really fulfills a function.
“We always went to celebrate carnival together.”
“I miss my husband,” says a woman in a traditional Den Bosch outfit. “He passed away four years ago and was always very active in Oeteldonk. I think this is a very nice initiative. We always celebrated Carnival together from early in the morning until late at night.”
“I miss my sister Miranda,” says a man. “She looks down on us and provides good weather,” he jokes. “Now at carnival I think of her, like when Knillis was unveiled. She didn’t really like Carnival, but she was the first to wear the smock.”
A 77-year-old woman misses her sister and brother very much during Carnival. “A lot of people my age are no longer there,” she explains. She wears a photo of her sister on her carnival clothes. “We always went to celebrate Carnival together and it is nice that we can reminisce here at the memorial stone.”
