Content
- The oak - the national tree of Germany
- Oak trees are distributed worldwide
- History of the oak in Germany
- The oak in the art
- Tips & Tricks
The oak - the national tree of Germany
The oak is considered the German tree par excellence. In terms of number, that's not quite true. Even more common than oak trees are beeches in Germany. But since oak trees belong to the beech family, the claim can be upheld as a "tree of the Germans".
Oak trees are distributed worldwide
Oak trees are distributed worldwide. Only in Australia they do not occur in nature. How many species actually exist can hardly be said. The numbers vary between 600 and almost 1,000 oak species.
In Germany, the stock of stem and grape oaks account for nine percent. This makes the oak here the second most abundant deciduous tree.
The oak is valued for its longevity and hard, hardly rotting wood. The durable, solid wood is used for many purposes, such as:
History of the oak in Germany
Oak trees have been around in Germany since antiquity. Legal proceedings were held under its sweeping crown. An example of this is the Femeiche, one of the oldest German oaks, which stands near Borken.
Since the 18th century, the oak is considered the German national tree.
After the Franco-Prussian War (1870 - 1871), peace lakes were planted throughout Germany. This was done in the hope that peace between the countries may be maintained as long as an oak tree lives.
The oak in the art
How important oak was and still is for the people is shown in the numerous pictures of oak trees not only in art, but also as military badges.
In the Gothic, the oak, acorns and oak leaves are a recurring theme. Since the oak has been linked to Saint Mary for its permanence, pictures of the tree can be found on many Bible bindings.
Military rank insignia not only contain oak leaves in Germany, which is a symbol of higher service ranks.
Tips & Tricks
The Hamburger Speicherstadt was built on hundreds of oak posts. The oak wood is particularly firm and does not rot if it is permanently in the water. Therefore, this construction method was used not only in Germany, but also, for example, in Holland, if the subsoil does not allow any solid development.