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90-year-old Güstrower leads restoration of the Elisabeth Stone!
A 90-year-old initiates the restoration of the Elisabeth Stone in Güstrow in order to preserve the historical monument.
90-year-old Güstrower leads restoration of the Elisabeth Stone!
Something is happening in the Güstrower Heidbergen - a historical monument, the Elisabeth Stone, is to be restored. The initiative for this comes from a special lady, 90-year-old Angelika Schmiegelow Powell, who was born in Güstrow and fled to the West in the 1950s and later emigrated to the USA. After her return to Germany, she was deeply affected by the neglected condition of the stone, which was reminiscent of reforestation by students at the Güstrow Cathedral School in 1573. An article about the poor condition of the monument, published in March 2025, provided the decisive impetus for their commitment, as the Northern Courier reported.
But what exactly should happen during the restoration? The stone shows several damages: around 149 letters and numbers need to be replaced and cleaned. The plan is to use a special dry blasting process with microscopically fine quartz sand to gently clean the natural stone without damaging the historical material. The process is considered approved in the heritage protection sector and ensures that the impurities are removed without endangering the valuable surface of the stone, as stated on the website naturstein-restauieren.de is explained.
Participants and funding
The project is supported by several actors: the city of Güstrow, the Art and Antiquities Association (KAV) Güstrow, a local stonemason as well as committed citizens and students from the John-Brinckman-Gymnasium. This collaboration should not only lead to the enhancement of the stone, but also to beautify the surrounding area. The total cost of the restoration is around 2,300 euros, which will be financed through donations. Interestingly, Dr. Gerhard Jacob, a former cathedral student, has already donated 1,000 euros and is trying to get in touch with the mayor.
The KAV will be responsible for processing the donations, as the city has decided against having its own donation account. This is done for organizational reasons so that citizens can easily transfer their donations to the KAV Güstrow e.V. account at Ostseesparkasse Rostock.
Involvement of youth
The idea of including today's youth in the project is a real success. High school students are not only expected to participate, but also to research the topic of the namesake, Elizabeth of Denmark and Norway, as well as the restoration of the stone in a “Regional History” course. It is also encouraged to plant trees in the Heidberge. This creates a cross-generational connection that teaches young people the meaning of the monument and at the same time strengthens their sense of responsibility.
An important date is approaching: on January 13th, representatives of the city, the monument protection authority and the forestry are invited to advise on site. An agreement to implement the restoration should be drawn up. So it's worth taking a look at the Elisabeth Stone in the Güstrower Heidbergen, which could soon shine in new splendor.
Anyone interested in preserving our cultural landscape can find further information and options for applying for funding as part of monument protection programs on the website Ministry of Culture. Annual special programs with funding for medium-sized companies that are interested in the renovation and modernization of listed buildings are also presented there.