Blue Plaque on the Tombstone – What Does it Mean?
If you've taken a closer look at the tombstones while strolling through the cemetery, you may have noticed that some markers bear a blue plaque.
In the midst of green nature, dark stones, and colorful flowers, the blue plaque naturally stands out. It's reasonable to wonder why this plaque is there.
Is it a marking from the cemetery administration?
Perhaps the gardener has marked his planted grave sites with blue?
Or is someone up to mischief?
In fact, the blue plaque on the tombstone is a marker from the stonemason. Until 2019, it was common practice for the stonemason to affix a plaque with their company logo and name to the finished tombstone.
Especially in the past, this was an important advertising measure. For potential customers, the cemetery essentially served as an exhibition and helped in selecting a possible stonemason.
However, due to a ruling by the Heilbronn District Court (Judgment of 22.09.2017 - Kn 8 O 148/17), which was confirmed by the Stuttgart Court of Appeals (Judgment of 05.07.2018 - Az.: 2 U 167/17), it is no longer permitted to attach these advertising plaques to the tombstone. This applies whenever the cemetery regulations prohibit the offering of goods and services on the cemetery grounds.
The court argued that the advertising plaques disturbed cemetery visitors. For this reason, the advertising was deemed unfair.
It would be easy to simply omit the plaques altogether. However, we are so proud of our work that our stones now no longer bear our name but our color.
We do not wish to intrude upon cemetery visitors with aggressive advertising. Our primary goal is to certify the high craftsmanship of the tombstone with our quality seal.
Perhaps you've come across a Messerschmidt Original. For us, the blue plaque stands for high manufacturing quality and a lifetime stability guarantee. When you see a Messerschmidt Original, you can be assured that the stone comes from ethical sourcing and represents a dignified final resting place, thoughtfully designed to honor the deceased. With the blue Messerschmidt Original marking, we identify our tombstones - Made in Germany.
So, when you're walking through the cemetery, know that the blue plaque is not placed on the tombstone without reason. And with some luck, you might even admire the result of master craftsmanship – a Messerschmidt Original.