The plaque was created in 1980 for the 40th Anniversary of the Katyn Massacre; at that time, the Soviet Union had not admitted to committing the atrocity.  Despite a great deal of evidence uncovered by an international panel of investigators, the USSR maintained that the Germans were at fault.  Since then it has become clear that the Soviets killed more than 20,000 Poles in 1940. The City of Buffalo contracted with WEI to clean and preserve the plaque, as well as perform minor repairs to the frame.

Because the plaque was indoors and hung well out of reach, it was in fairly good condition.  However, it had received little to no maintenance since its installation in City Hall in the early 80s.

An adjustable vacuum was used at a very light setting to remove any loose debris, such as lint or dust from the surface.  Cotton cloths and mild detergent were used to wipe away the oily accumulation of dust from the entire piece.  Stubborn areas were dissolved with undiluted detergent and wiped away with cotton swabs and cloths. The copper plaque and the frame were coated with microcrystalline wax and buffed to compress the wax.  This made almost no difference in the appearance of the plaque, but added some protection from corrosion and incidental soiling.

To repair scratches and gouges in the frame, the scratches were cleaned out and lightly polished to remove any burrs from the edges.  The scratches were touched up with enamel to camouflage them, and rubbed to eliminate any uneven texture.  The dedication plaque had a mismatched set of screws, and one was missing.  WEI repaired the frame with dowels and glue, and replaced the screws so that all would match. 

WEI submitted a final report, describing the treatment and physical characteristics of the plaque and frame, as well as discussing the symbolism in the work.  Maintenance recommendations were included.