The following essasy is an attempt towards a new understanding of Paul Celan’s poem À LA POINTE ACÉRÉE, published in his forth volume of poems, ‚Die Niemandsrose‘, in 1963. Unlike former attempts it tries to use its title as a guide. This title was borrowed from Baudelaire, but Baudelaire’s formula “la pointe acérée de l’infini” was longer. Celan gave his shortened version the function of a dedication, which means he dedicated his poem to the “steely head” of a tool. With this in mind we can perhaps find a new understanding of the main field of metaphors in Celan’s poem. They deal with the breaking open of rocks and crystals, the uncovering of ore and metals, but also of memories, that is memories of the fate of Judaism, of concentration camps and death. As Baudelaire’s “steely head” helps the miner to excavate minerals and metals, the sharpened words of the poem may help to dig up and preserve the memory of the millions of people who died in the Shoa.