The 70,273 Project

Help is still needed - see below.

Three years ago, Jeanne Hewell Chambers took on a monumental project.

Here is her brief overview:

Between January 1940 and August 1941, Nazis murdered 70,273 physically and mentally disabled people – men, women, teens, boys, and girls. Though they never even laid eyes on the disabled person they were evaluating, the Nazi doctors read the medical files and, if from the words on the page, the person was deemed “unfit” or an “economic burden on society”, the doctor placed a red X at the bottom of the form. Three doctors were to read each medical file, and when two of them made a red X on the page, the disabled person’s fate was sealed.

I will commemorate these 70,273 voiceless, powerless people who were so callously and casually murdered by gathering 70,273 blocks of white fabric (representing the paper the doctors read), each bearing two red X’s (representing one person), and I will stitch them together into quilts. 

Am I crazy? Maybe. But Bones say I can’t not do this. I can’t change history – can’t un-ring that bell – but I can commemorate the lives of these 70,273 disabled people in this small way . . . if you’ll help. (I’ve done the math, and I just can’t do it alone.) See where it says “70273” at the top of the page? If you’ll click on that, you’ll find all sorts of information about how and why to become involved. Take some time poking around the pages, and when you’re ready, join us.

When I first heard about the project, I thought she was (as she says) crazy. I couldn’t imagine that she could ever reach this goal. But, for obvious reasons, I couldn’t let this rest so I started making and sending blocks. Miraculously, blocks and quilts started piling up. She changed rules to include smaller (more doable for me) “middling” quilts which made these double x’s grow even more. Imagine my surprise to find this photo of Jeanne at the Houston Quilt Festival standing by one of my little quilts (the one on the top). 

So here we are 3 years and 70,273 people honored and remembered later! The goal was reached in February, but she still needs out help. There is still piecing and quilting needed for all the collected blocks. If you can help in any way please visit her blog (here) and let Jeanne know how you can help. 

Congratulations and thanks a million Jeanne!