Oxford Inscriptions: Bonn Square
The present wall plaque marking the reopening of the square in 2009
BONN SQUARE
Inaugurated October 1974
in honour of the twinning of
OXFORD and BONN
by the Lord Mayor of Oxford
Cllr Olive Gibbs and
the Mayor of Bonn
[Logo/coat-of-arms
of Oxford and Bonn]
Re-opened May 2009
by the Lord Mayor of Oxford
Cllr Mary Clarkson and
the Bezirksbürgermeister of Bonn
Helmut Kollig
This bronze plaque, which is on the side of 1 New Inn Hall Street, was unveiled on 23 May 2009 by the Lord Mayor of Oxford and the Bezirksbürgermeister of Bonn
The former inscribed stone (1974–2008)
The above wall plaque replaced the stone below, which stood in Bonn Square from 1974 to 2008, but was moved to Cutteslowe Park (presumably to the storage area) when Bonn Square was opened up and paved over.
BONN SQUARE
THE LORD MAYOR OF THE CITY OF OXFORD
COUNCILLOR MRS OLIVE GIBBS
AND THE CHAIRMAN OF
THE BONN CITY DISTRICT COUNCIL
HERR STADTVERORDNETER REINER SCHREIBER
NAMED THIS SQUARE ON 5 OCTOBER 1974
Bronze sculpture presented by the City of Bonn in 2009
This sculpture in bronze by Diana Bell was presented to Oxford by the City of Bonn and was also unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Oxford Mary Clarkson and Bezirksbürgermeister of Bonn Helmut Kollig on 23 May 2009. It shows two piles of books: the words KNOWLEDGE, TRUST, FRIENDSHIP, UNDERSTANDING are engraved on some of the spines of the taller pile, while the smaller pile has the German equivalents: WISSEN, VERTRAUEN, FREÜNDSCHAFT, VERSTANDIGUNG.
Peace Plaque of 2010
The Peace Plaque below, on the wall of New Road Baptist Church, was unveiled by Bruce Kent on UN Peace Day, 21 September 2010.
PEACE
[Then the same word in
Arabic /
Hebrew / Sanskrit]
TO HONOUR
THOSE WHO
SEEK ANOTHER
PATH IN PLACE
OF VIOLENCE
AND WAR
2010
Oxford Mail, 22 September 2010:
“Plaque unveiled to promote peace”
This peace plaque has since been
a venue for peace meetings, e.g.:
Oxford Mail, 7 August 2019:
“Oxford CND gathers in Bonn Square
to mark Hiroshima Day”