List of European oaks with a trunk circumference of ten meters or more

The list of oaks in Europe with a trunk circumference of ten meters or more names all identifiable living oaks ( Quercus ) in Europe whose trunk circumference exceeds ten meters at chest height . The Dutch forester Jeroen Pater measured all oaks of this size in Europe between 1999 and 2007 using the same measurement scheme, trunk circumference at 1.30 meters, on sloping terrain on the top of the slope. For each of the 29 oaks, the location, the country, the extent, the estimated age and special characteristics are described.

The United Kingdom has the most oaks of this size with a total of ten, followed by Germany with five and Denmark and Sweden with three each. The thickest oak in Europe is the Kvilleken in Sweden with a circumference of 14.75 meters. Some European countries do not have oak trees of this size. For example, the thickest oak in Lithuania has a circumference of 9.35, in Romania of 9.30, in Switzerland of 8.90, in Estonia of 8.25, in the Netherlands of 7.97 and in Austria of 7, 25 meters. The age of the Kongeegenin Denmark, the oldest oak in Europe, is estimated to be around 1400 to 2000 years old. In addition, 3 oaks are listed that are just below the assessment limit, but are of interest for the reasons described.

Tree register and circumference measurement

There is no transnational organization that records the thickest trees and measures them according to a given scheme. In individual countries, however, the thickest trees in the country are systematically recorded and published. The most important criterion in the compilations is the size of the trunk. However, different measurement methods are sometimes used, so that the results are difficult to compare with one another.

In the United Kingdom, the Tree Register of the British Isles (TROBI) was founded in 1988 to maintain a tree database. It contains the data from over 150,000 trees in the country. The circumference is measured on the top of the slope at a height of 1.5 meters. This organization has long considered the Manthorpe oak to be the largest in the United Kingdom. The even stronger oak in Marton was considered too crumbling to be considered for first place. However, the criteria used to determine which tree is the largest in the country have been changed so that the Marton Oak now takes first place.

The Norwegian forest authority Det Norske Skogselskap organized a competition in 1990 to find the largest tree in Norway. In 2007 another competition, Mitt tre (German Mein Baum ), was organized jointly by the Norwegian Forest Society (Det norske Skogselskap) , NRK Natur and the Norsk Genressurssenter , with more than 400 trees to choose from. The Brureika won both the 1990 and 2007 competitions. The circumference is measured at a height of 1.3 meters.

The German Tree Archive was founded in 1996. It systematically records all the strong trees in the country and groups them according to their species. Trees that exceed the highest level of circumference are referred to as trees of national importance (NBB). In the case of oaks, this area begins with a trunk circumference of eight meters, which is measured at a height of one meter. If the tree is on a slope, the circumference is measured halfway up the slope, the presumed germination point of the tree. Circumferences measured using this method are therefore only partially comparable with those measured at a height of 1.3 meters.

The most widespread measurement method in European forestry is the circumference measurement at a height of 1.3 meters ( at chest height ) above the ground, the so-called breast height diameter (BHD) or the chest height circumference (BHU). If the tree to be measured is not on level ground, the highest ground level on the trunk must first be determined. From there the height of 1.3 meters is measured. Deviating from this, there are other measurement methods. Bernd Ullrich, author of Our 500 Oldest Trees , measures the circumference at the weakest point ( waist ) of the trunk. Measurements are taken below the deepest strong branches or large knotholes. If the top of the tree is very low, measurements are taken underneath. In extreme cases, the circumference is measured directly on the ground. The thinnest part of the trunk is determined for a tree with a circumference of up to eight meters to a height of 2.5 meters. In the case of trees with a larger circumference, this point is higher. Jeroen Pater, author of Europe's Old Trees , measures the trees at a height of 1.3 meters, on sloping terrain on the top of the slope . If the trunk has a smaller circumference at a lower height, it is measured there and the height of the measurement is indicated.

Explanation

Ivenacker oak , tallest and most massive oak in Europe

• Place: Names the ranking position that the oak occupies in the list according to the trunk circumference.
• Trunk circumference (year): states the trunk circumference of the oak 1.3 meters above the ground and the year of measurement. Oak trees of this size have an increase in circumference of around one to two centimeters per year. Depending on the site conditions, growth form, climate, trunk form and biographical facts, the value can fluctuate between less than one and three centimeters.
• Name: gives the name of the oak.
• Location: Provides the location and coordinates of the oak.
• Country: Abbreviation and flag of the country in which the oak is located.
• Age (years): Gives the estimated age of the oak in years. The age estimate is based on the size of the trunk, the location and the historical records. Oak trees of this size are almost always hollow, so that no annual ring counts are possible on the hollowed-out trunk. Determining the age according to the radioactive carbon content ( radiocarbon dating , also called ¹⁴ C dating) is problematic with this trunk structure, as the oldest wooden parts are missing in the inner area of ​​the trunk.
• Height (m): Indicates the height of the oak.
• Species: Names the type of oak ( sessile oak ( Quercus petraea ) or English oak ( Quercus robur )).
• Note: Additional information.

Oak trees

place	Trunk circumference (year)	Surname	place	country	Age (years)	Height (m)	Art	comment	picture
1	14.75 m (2006)	Rumskullaeken	Norra Kvill ( location )	SWE	900- 1000	15th	English oak	Half of the trunk is dead. This part is attached to the rest of the trunk with ropes. In 1999 a big Viking festival took place under the oak tree because it supposedly dates from the Viking Age.
2	14.26 m (2006)	Marton Oak	Marton	GBR	1,000– 1,200	-	Sessile oak	The trunk of the oak is highly fragmented and consists of several separate trunk parts. The oak has been listed as the thickest oak in the country for several years.
3	13.38 m (2006)	Pontfadog Oak	Pontfadog	GBR	700- 1000	11	Sessile oak	It is said to have risen in Roman times around the year 387. Until 1963 it was considered the thickest oak in Europe, until a branch broke out that destroyed parts of the trunk.
4th	13.16 m (2006)	Oak of Manthorpe	Manthorpe	GBR	500-600	12th	English oak	In 1768, a floor was laid and benches were placed in the hollow trunk of the oak. The entrance was provided with a door. The door is still visible on views from around 1900.
5	12.91 m (2006)	Queen Elizabeth Oak	Midhurst	GBR	600-700	9	Sessile oak	The oak is named after Queen Elizabeth I , who allegedly visited this oak in 1591 and killed a deer with a bow and arrow .
6th	12.79 m (2006)	Lydham Manor Oak	Lydham ( location )	GBR	300-325	18th	English oak	It is a typical English head oak, with a short, thick trunk. The annual increase in circumference of around four centimeters is enormous for such an oak.
7th	12.34 m (2006)	Majesty	Nonington	GBR	450-500	19th	English oak	It is the thickest oak in the United Kingdom. It is not a head oak, but an uncut, fully grown oak. The circumference 30 centimeters above the ground is 16.75 meters.
8th	12.21 m (2004)	Remote oak	Alder ( location )	GER	800- 1000	11	English oak	Until 1589, medieval veek courts were held under the oak tree . The trunk consists only of two thin parts, the crown is provided with numerous supports.
9	11.67 m (2006)	Jack of Kent's Oak	Kenturch	GBR	600-700	10	English oak	The oak is named after Jack of Kent , who lived around 1400 and was a kind of Robin Hood in this area. He is said to have regularly climbed into her crown to write poetry there.
10	11.35 m (2003)	Oak	Ivenack ( location )	GER	700-800	35	English oak	With 180  solid meters it is the most massive oak in Europe. There are other thick oaks in the vicinity, two of which are more than nine meters in circumference.
11	10.80 m (2007)	Brureika (bridal oak)	Utne ( location )	NOR	900-1000	-	English oak	In 2007, the oak was chosen for the second time since 1990 in the Mitt tre (My Tree) competition as the largest tree in Norway . At a height of 0.5 meters, the trunk has a circumference of 9.84 meters
12th	10.74 m (2006)	Ekebyhovseken	Ekerö	SWE	500-550	15th	English oak	Until the 1970s, it was considered the most beautiful oak in Sweden. Her crown was badly damaged in several severe storms.
12th	10.74 m (2006)	Oakleigh Oak	Mottosfont Abbey	GBR	500-550	13th	English oak	In previous years, it was said that up to 20 people could fit into the hollow trunk. Today it is completely closed again. The cave can still be seen in photos from around 1900.
14th	10.69 m (2006)	Shobdon Oak	Shobdon	GBR	300-325	23	Sessile oak	In October 2002, the tree was split six meters high in a storm, and the larger part broke off. Until then, it was considered one of the most beautiful oak trees in the country.
15th	10.68 m (2006)	Ulvedalsegen (Wolftaleiche)	Jægerspris Dyrehave ( location )	THE	450-500	17th	English oak	From 1910 to 1949 open-air theater was performed at the oak in a park, where it was part of the backdrop. The trunk is hollow and split in two.
16	10.62 m (2006)	Major Oak	Sherwood Forest ( location )	GBR	500-700	15th	English oak	Robin Hood is said to have met his faithful under the oak in the 13th century. The Robin Hood Festival is celebrated annually with over 70,000 visitors and the oak tree as the focal point.
17th	10.50 m (2001)	Tordenskjold oak	Hoard	NOR	500-700	12th	English oak	It is named after the Norwegian sea hero Peter Wessel Tordenskjold who died in 1720 . The trunk is completely hollow and consists of two parts.
18th	10.45 m (2006)	Skovfogedegen (forest guard oak)	Jægerspris Dyrehave ( location )	THE	450-500	14th	English oak	At the beginning of the 19th century a hunting warden, a Catholic, preached under the oak tree.
19th	10.41 m (2003)	Oak from Liernu	Liernu ( ⊙ )	BEL	600-700	17th	English oak	The tree was supposed to be felled in the 19th century. This was prevented by a picture of St. Anthony, which an old priest placed in the hollow trunk. As a result, the custom developed to put two burning candles inside to heal sick animals, and in 1970 the picture was stolen. In 2016, the tree took part in the “ European Tree of the Year ” competition as a representative of Belgium .
20th	10.40 m (2002)	Oak of St. Vincent de Paul	St. Vincent de Paul	FRA	700-800	13th	English oak	The oak is named after Vincent von Paul , who was born in 1581 in a house next to the oak. He became a priest and founded various orders. A pilgrim hostel and a chapel were built next to the oak.
21	10.38 m (2006)	Kongeegen (royal oak)	Jægerspris ( location )	THE	1.400- 2.000	14th	English oak	In 1955 the oak had a circumference of 13.90 meters. In 1973 a main branch broke out and part of the trunk fell over. Today the trunk consists only of remnants.
22nd	10.18 m (2001)	Kaives ozols ( Kaive oak)	Kaive ( location )	LAT	450-500	18th	English oak	According to a legend, a chest full of gold is buried under the oak, for which many have searched in vain in the last few centuries. In 1972 the oak began to decay with the breaking out of several strong branches.
23	10.15 m (2001)	Burial oak	Nöbdenitz ( location )	GER	700-800	13th	English oak	In 1824, Baron von Thümmel, who had chosen the oak as his final resting place, was buried in a cavity in the trunk of the oak. During an investigation in 1959, the grave containing human remains was found but left there.
23	10.15 m (2001)	Thick oak	Krügersdorf	GER	550-600	22nd	English oak	The oak shows strong signs of age, such as several broken branches in the crown. Nearby, there is another oak, the bouquet oak, with a circumference of around nine meters.
25th	10.13 m (2006)	Olof-Palmes-Ek	Ekerö	SWE	450-500	19th	English oak	The oak is named after the two-time Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, who was murdered in 1986 . In 2005 a large branch broke out under its own weight without the effects of a storm.
26th	10.10 m (2009)	Chrobry oak	Szprotawa (Sprottau) ( location )	POLE	550	25th	English oak	The oak is named after Bolesław I , the first king of Poland, who died in 1025 and was also called Chrobry the Brave . The trunk is even and reaches very high. At a height of five meters, the circumference is over ten meters.
27	10.04 m (1999)	Thick oak	Berteroda ( location )	GER	450-500	15th	English oak	The hollow trunk of the oak was lined with bricks in 1912. Years ago, a village festival took place under the oak tree. A day later, a large branch broke out and fell onto the fairground.
28	10.02 m (1999)	Žižka oak	Náměšť nad Oslavou ( location )	CZE	600-700	19th	English oak	It is named after Jan Žižka , a Czech general in the 15th century. This is said to have rested under the oak during a battle of the Hussites in 1423.
29	10.00 m (2002)	Belén oak	Ruente	ESP	600-700	16	English oak	The oak has an unusual shape. The trunk, from which a few relatively thin branches protrude, is completely hollow and has a spherical shape. There is another oak tree with a circumference of around nine meters in the vicinity.
30th	10.00 m (2006)	Oak from Zsennye	Zsennye	HUN	1,000	23	English oak	Destroyed in 2006. Was considered to be the oldest oak in Hungary. Image on a Pro Natura commemorative coin.

Tree register

• The Tree Register of the British Isles lists over 150,000 trees in the British Isles .

More lists

• List of the thickest oak trees in Germany
• List of prominent and old tree specimens (international)
• List of prominent and old tree specimens in Germany

literature

• Jeroen Pater: Europe's old trees: their stories, their secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 (Translated from the Dutch by Susanne Bonn).

Web links

• The thickest, tallest, and oldest English oaks (Quercus robur). In: monumentaltrees.com. Retrieved March 13, 2020 . 
• The thickest, tallest and oldest sessile oaks (Quercus petraea). In: monumentaltrees.com. 2019, accessed March 13, 2020 . 
• Old Trees in The Netherlands and Western Europe
• Entry in the register of monumental oaks . Retrieved January 10, 2017
• German tree archive

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 6 .
2. ^ Dansk Dendrologisk Forening: Kongeegen . Retrieved May 4, 2011 (Danish, English)
3. ↑ Kong Frederik den syvendes stiftelse paa Jægerspris: De Tusindeårige Ege . Retrieved May 4, 2011 (Danish).
4. ^ The Tree Register. Retrieved April 27, 2011 . 
5. ↑ Champion Trees. (PDF) May 18, 2006, archived from the original on July 3, 2007 ; Retrieved April 27, 2011 . 
6. ↑ ^{a b} “Mitt tre” competitor in 2007: All gode ting he mitt tre. (PDF) (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; Retrieved April 27, 2011 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.    
7. ↑ Dette he Noregs største tre. Retrieved April 27, 2011 . 
8. ↑ German Tree Archives: Documentation of the beautiful, old and 1000-year-old trees in Germany. Retrieved April 27, 2011 . 
9. ↑ ^{a b} Bernd Ullrich, Stefan Kühn, Uwe Kühn: Our 500 oldest trees: Exclusively from the German Tree Archives . BLV Buchverlag GmbH & Co. KG, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-8354-0376-5 , p. 13 .
10. ↑ Bernd Ullrich, Stefan Kühn, Uwe Kühn: Our 500 oldest trees: Exclusively from the German Tree Archive . BLV Buchverlag GmbH & Co. KG, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-8354-0376-5 , p. 12 .
11. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 7 .
12. ↑ ^{a b c} Jeroen Pater: Europe's old trees: their stories, their secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 .
13. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 11 .
14. ↑ ^{a b} Jeroen Pater: Europe's old trees: their stories, their secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 52 .
15. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 50 .
16. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 38 .
17. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 30 .
18. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 27 .
19. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 84 .
20. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 42 .
21. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 72 .
22. ↑ Stefan Kühn, Bernd Ullrich, Uwe Kühn: Germany's old trees . BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-8354-0183-9 , p. 52 .
23. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 12 .
24. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 36 .
25. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 48 .
26. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 22 .
27. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 40 .
28. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 18 .
29. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 622 .
30. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 56 .
31. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 156 .
32. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 20 .
33. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 114 .
34. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 88 .
35. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 80 .
36. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 14 .
37. ↑ Monumentaltrees
38. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 92 .
39. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 124 .
40. ↑ Jeroen Pater: Europe's Old Trees: Their Stories, Their Secrets . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 3-440-10930-5 , p. 168 .

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