Tanzlinde (Effeltrich)

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The oval shaped, supported crown viewed from the south

Coordinates: 49 ° 39 ′ 34.4 "  N , 11 ° 5 ′ 33.9"  E

Map: Germany
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Tanzlinde in Effeltrich​
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Germany

The dance linden (also called thousand-year-old linden or village linden) is a summer linden ( Tilia platyphyllos ) in Effeltrich in Upper Franconia , on the western edge of Franconian Switzerland . The dancing linden tree stands on the village square opposite the fortified church. For centuries, the tree served as a central meeting place, thing and court, and in the 19th and 20th centuries as a festival and dance venue. What is striking about the growth of the linden tree is the flat-oval crown, which can be traced back to the production of bast for fruit tree cultivation. The linden tree is considered to be the most beautiful of the numerous village linden trees in the Franconian region . Because of its varied life, the linden tree is given many tales, stories and legends.

description

Trunk of linden tree

Despite its great age, the linden tree makes a strong and vital impression, the branches are still leafy right up to the tip and are richly flowering. The crown rests on a double ring-shaped beam frame with 24 supports, with the outer ring sitting on a 49 meter long and 90 centimeter high stone wall that surrounds the tree. This final stone wall also serves as protection for the root area within the wall. Without this framework, the trunk of the linden tree would break apart under the weight of the strong, wide-spreading branches. In addition, some of the branches are supported by two iron tubes each. There was never a dance platform on the drawn branches of the Effeltricher linden tree, as was the case with other dance linden trees , for example the dance linden tree in Sachsenbrunn . There was always dancing and celebrating under the beam structure. The crown has a diameter of just over 20 meters and is about seven meters high. The crown is formed by eight strong, horizontally drawn branches with a diameter of up to 90 centimeters. The open trunk is closed by several iron bars. The trunk is completely hollow and completely filled with sludge . In the trunk, an adventitious root about ten centimeters thick grows from the sludge in order to better supply parts of the crown with nutrients. Most of the drawn and supported old branches are hollow, and the upper wall is partially missing, so that the branches only consist of a half-shell made of bark material.

Hollow and open branch

The image of the crown has changed a bit in the last 100 years. A picture by the tree photographer Friedrich Stützer in his tree book The largest, oldest or otherwise strange trees in Bavaria in words and pictures shows the crown wider and flatter than today. At that time it protruded several meters above the beam structure and the final wall, which today roughly limits the crown. Since the vertical shoots have not been regularly removed to obtain bast for many years, the crown has partly expanded upwards.

The amount of wood in the linden tree, without root wood, is given as 36 cubic meters . The linden tree has an extensive network of roots. Roughly strong roots were found in a dung heap and in a basement about 40 meters from the trunk. Linden roots were also discovered about 50 meters away while digging a well; this should be the maximum extent of the roots.

Apostelinde

"Millennial linden tree"

Eight branches protrude from the trunk of the linden tree. Part of it branches out so that a total of twelve branches reach to the outer stone wreath. The number twelve stands for the twelve apostles , twelve hours , twelve months and twelve signs of the zodiac . According to mysticism , it is a so-called apostle linden , of which there are very few in Germany. With the number twelve a connection to heaven and earth can be made, whereby this can be determined by multiplying three times four . In Greek mythology, the three stands for the trinity of the gods Zeus , Poseidon and Hades , but many other gods and mythical figures also appear in trinity. The four symbolizes the earth with its four cardinal points north , east , south and west . (a)

Location

The linden tree is in a central location on the village square, at the intersection of several streets in the municipality of Effeltrich in the Forchheim district . To the south it is 24 kilometers to Nuremberg , the altitude is about 300 meters above sea ​​level . It is framed by the fortified church of St. George with high walls and pointed towers and old half-timbered houses and inns. Landesstraße  2243 leads past the linden tree to Forchheim , which is identical here with Burgenstraße .

Age

Split trunk with lattice

There are various statements in the literature on the age of the linden tree. Neither annual ring counting nor age determination of the radioactive carbon content ( radiocarbon dating , also called 14 C dating) is possible on the hollow trunk , as the oldest wooden parts required for this are missing in the inner area. Thus the actual age of the linden tree remains unknown. Estimates of the age range from 400 to 1000 years. The trunk diameter and the comparison with similar trees indicate an age of 800 years. The age of the linden tree is often associated with the founding year of the Bamberg diocese in 1007 . According to this, the linden tree would be over 1000 years old. However, this is likely to be too high for the linden tree, which shows a deeply scratched bark as a sign of old age . It is difficult to determine the age based on the size of the trunk. The supported main branches and the resulting relief of the trunk cause a slower growth in thickness. A supported linden tree with the same trunk diameter and comparable site conditions is to be classified as much older than a freely grown linden tree.

Even before the First World War , the age of the linden tree was estimated to be at least 1000 years. The estimate comes from the then director Gustav von Bezold of the Germanic National Museum in Nuremberg. In 1935, experts indicated an age of 800 years. The German Tree Archive , which is rather cautious about its age, estimated the age of the linden tree in 2007 at only 400 to 670 years. This means that the linden tree in the German Tree Archives is one of the oldest linden trees in Germany. Hans Joachim Fröhlich  - initiator of the Board of Trustees of Old Lovable Trees in Germany eV  - specifies an age of 800 to 1000 years for the linden tree in 1990. In 2005, Anette Lenzing gave the age of the linden tree as 800 to 1000 years. In 2007, Michel Brunner described the age of the linden tree as around 700 years.

Trunk circumference

In 2000, the trunk had a circumference of at least 7.51 meters at the point of smallest diameter. The circumference at a height of one meter is currently eight meters, ten centimeters above the ground more than eleven meters. Measurements from 1981 showed that at 30 centimeters and at chest height (BHU) above the ground, 8.8 meters. Measurements from 1987 showed 7.77 meters at a height of one meter. Fröhlich gives a trunk circumference of 8.3 meters for 1990, measured at a height of 1.3 meters.

history

Tanzlinde around 1900

According to tradition, the linden tree is said to have been used as a thing tree by the Wends before they were Christianized around the year 1004 . (b) Judgment was probably held under the linden tree in centuries past. This is indicated by the approximately 90 centimeter high stone wreath surrounding the linden tree. The fact that the men traditionally wear a hat and the women a white headscarf at festivals under the linden tree indicates this time, as this custom dates from the time of the Wende. The earlier festivities may also have taken place under a previous linden tree at this point.

Until 1950 there were tables and benches under the linden tree and there was catering from the neighboring inn. The main road, which leads directly past the linden tree, was expanded after the Second World War and motor vehicle traffic increased more and more. In 1966, two drivers who carelessly broke two strong branches facing the road. The linden tree lost the uniform, harmonious structure of the crown. During a further expansion, the street was relocated a bit, so that the linden tree has had a little more space since then. The linden tree is a registered natural monument (ND-04472) and is under protection.

Fruit tree growing

Cross-braced, supported branches

The name Effeltrich means place with many apple trees or apple-rich. The linden tree can still be seen today that it was used for many years to obtain bast for fruit tree cultivation: For the refinement of young fruit trees, the young, vertical shoots of the linden tree were cut off over decades up to around 1850 and their bast was used to tie and fix the grafting points used. In order to be able to harvest the branches in sufficient quantity, the emerging branches were bent down and fixed in this position. The pinned branches continued to grow in this position. As a result, strong, cross-bracing branches developed, which grew faster and led to the formation of a wide-spanning crown. From the horizontally fixed branches came vertical shoots, of which more could be harvested the wider the crown became. The linden bast obtained was previously indispensable and, in addition to being used to refine fruit trees, it was also used to make cords, clothes, shoes and war shields.

Festival and dance area

Stone wall and supports made of wood and iron

The linden tree also served as a social meeting place for a long time. In the 19th century, festivals and moonlight nights with singing, music and social gatherings were held under the linden tree. In the 1850s: “The dignitaries of the area met once a week during the summer to watch the so-called To celebrate 'moonlight nights' with music, singing and cozy entertainment. ” The university town of Erlangen attracted an academic audience, such as students and professors, but also officers. These meetings began around the middle of the 19th century and lasted until 1914. Prince Ludwig , who became King of Bavaria in 1913, visited Effeltrich on June 12, 1912. In his honor, a big festival was celebrated under the linden tree. The local children danced in their colorful costumes under the linden tree. The festivities subsided after the Second World War and the colorful, festive hustle and bustle was gradually forgotten.

Redevelopment

Adventitious root in the hollow trunk

Despite the hollow trunk, the tree is in good condition because it has always been cared for. Because of the ever stronger and heavier branches, these were supported from 1905 with a double oak frame by master carpenter Kaul from Poxdorf. Before that, the support consisted of a ring of individual supports. The tree was renovated several times, for example in 1913, when the now partially hollow trunk was lined with bricks for static reasons . For this sealing of the trunk, however, approval had to be obtained beforehand from the Committee for Nature Conservation in Bamberg. A layer of cement was applied to close the filled area .

In 1947 the double oak frame from 1905 was renewed by master builder Hans Batz from Effeltrich. In 1968 the linden tree was professionally treated and in 1971 the oak frame was repaired again. In 1977 extensive renovations were carried out by the "tree doctor" Michael Maurer from Röthenbach an der Pegnitz . The tree seal attached in 1913 was removed again.

The area around the tree outside of the crown area has recently been provided with patchy plaster in order to secure the water supply for the roots, which strive far away from the trunk.

literature

  • 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. 262 .
  • Stefan Kühn, Bernd Ullrich, Uwe Kühn: Germany's old trees . BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-8354-0183-9 .
  • Anette Lenzing: Court linden trees and thing places in Germany . Langewiesche KR, Heiligenhaus 2005, ISBN 3-7845-4520-3 .
  • Hans Joachim Fröhlich : Volume 2, Bavaria . In: Paths to old trees . WDV-Wirtschaftsdienst, Frankfurt 1990, ISBN 3-926181-09-5 .
  • Hans Joachim Fröhlich: Old lovable trees in Germany . Cornelia Ahlering Verlag, Buchholz 2000, ISBN 3-926600-05-5 .
  • Hartwig Goerss: Our tree veterans . Landbuch, Hannover 1981, ISBN 3-7842-0247-0 .
  • Friedrich Wallner: The village linden to Effeltrich (Upper Franconia) . In: Friedrich Stützer (ed.): The largest, oldest or otherwise strange trees in Bavaria in words and pictures . tape 1 . Piloty & Löhle, Munich 1900, p. 29–31 with collotype board ( mdz-nbn-resolving.de ).
  • Uwe Kühn, Stefan Kühn, Bernd Ullrich: Trees that tell stories . BLV Buchverlag GmbH & Co., Munich 2005, ISBN 3-405-16767-1 .
  • Michel Brunner: Important linden trees: 400 giant trees in Germany . Haupt Verlag AG, Bern / Stuttgart / Vienna 2007, ISBN 978-3-258-07248-7 .

See also

Web links

Commons : Tanzlinde  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Stefan Kühn, Bernd Ullrich, Uwe Kühn: Germany's old trees . BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-8354-0183-9 , p. 156 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e Michel Brunner : Significant linden trees: 400 giant trees in Germany . Haupt Verlag AG, Bern / Stuttgart / Vienna 2007, ISBN 978-3-258-07248-7 , p. 101 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e Hartwig Goerss: Our tree veterans . Landbuch, Hannover 1981, ISBN 3-7842-0247-0 , p. 115 .
  4. ^ A b Anette Lenzing: Judicial linden trees and Thingplaces in Germany . Langewiesche KR, Heiligenhaus 2005, ISBN 3-7845-4520-3 , p. 45 .
  5. ↑ a b Christopher A. Weidner: Die Tanzlinde zu Effeltrich. Retrieved June 28, 2008 .
  6. ↑ Hans Joachim Fröhlich: Old lovable trees in Germany . Buchholz, Ahlering 2000, ISBN 3-926600-05-5 , pp. 22 .
  7. ↑ Michel Brunner: Significant linden trees: 400 giant trees in Germany . Haupt Verlag AG, Bern / Stuttgart / Vienna 2007, ISBN 978-3-258-07248-7 , p. 316 .
  8. ^ A b Hans Joachim Fröhlich: Volume 2, Bavaria . In: Paths to old trees . WDV-Wirtschaftsdienst, Frankfurt 1990, ISBN 3-926181-09-5 , p. 24 .
  9. ↑ Uwe Kühn, Stefan Kühn, Bernd Ullrich: Trees that tell stories . BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-405-16767-1 , p. 7 .
  10. ↑ a b c d e Hartwig Goerss: Our tree veterans . Landbuch, Hannover 1981, ISBN 3-7842-0247-0 , p. 113 .
  11. ↑ Stefan Kühn, Bernd Ullrich, Uwe Kühn: Germany's old trees . BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, 2007, ISBN 978-3-8354-0183-9 , p. 10 .
  12. ^ A b Hans Joachim Fröhlich: Volume 2, Bavaria . In: Paths to old trees . WDV-Wirtschaftsdienst, Frankfurt 1990, ISBN 3-926181-09-5 , p. 81 .
  13. ↑ a b c d Anette Lenzing: Courts linden and Thing places in Germany . Langewiesche KR, Heiligenhaus 2005, ISBN 3-7845-4520-3 , p. 44 .
  14. ↑ Stefan Kühn, Bernd Ullrich, Uwe Kühn: Germany's old trees . BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, 2007, ISBN 978-3-8354-0183-9 , p. 190 .
  15. ↑ Efferer: The 1000-year-old bast lime tree in Effeltrich. Retrieved July 4, 2008 .
  16. ↑ Hartwig Goerss: Our tree veterans . Landbuch, Hannover 1981, ISBN 3-7842-0247-0 , p. 141 .
  17. ↑ Friedrich Wallner: The village linden to Effeltrich (Upper Franconia) . In: Friedrich Stützer (ed.): The largest, oldest or otherwise strange trees in Bavaria in words and pictures . tape 1 . Piloty & Löhle, Munich 1900, p. 29–31, here p. 29 ( mdz-nbn-resolving.de ).
  18. ↑ District Office Forchheim, Ordinance on the Protection of Trees in the District of Forchheim as Natural Monuments of January 10, 2013 (accessed on August 25, 2016)
  19. ↑ Friedrich Wallner: The village linden to Effeltrich (Upper Franconia) . In: Friedrich Stützer (ed.): The largest, oldest or otherwise strange trees in Bavaria in words and pictures . tape 1 . Piloty & Löhle, Munich 1900, p. 29–31, here p. 30 ( mdz-nbn-resolving.de ).
  20. ↑ Hartwig Goerss: Our tree veterans . Landbuch, Hannover 1981, ISBN 3-7842-0247-0 , p. 113-115 .

Remarks

(a) However, it is not certain whether the linden tree is actually an apostle linden tree, which was formed by deliberately pulling the twelve branches, or whether this happened accidentally through the death and removal of further branches.
(b)The year of Christianization is not guaranteed. According to another source, Significant Linden , page 101, Christianization took place around the year 1100.
This article was added to the list of excellent articles on August 22, 2008 in this version .