Novel stilbene compounds of the formula ##STR1## in which R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently of one another are hydrogen or chlorine and A is a mono-nuclear or poly-nuclear aromatic heterocyclic structure which contains oxygen atoms or oxygen and nitrogen atoms and is unsubstituted or substituted by non-chromophoric substituents, as well as their use in a process for optically brightening organic material are disclosed.