Forest swastika
The forest swastika was a patch of larch trees covering 0.36 ha (0.89 acres) area of pine forest near Zernikow, Uckermark district, Brandenburg, in northeastern Germany, arranged with their light colors to look like a swastika.
History
Reports say the larches were planted in 1938. It is unclear how the trees came to be planted and arranged in such a fashion. It seems[how?] they were planted in commemoration of Adolf Hitler's birthday, either by local Hitler Youth members[1] or by a warden.[2]
For a few weeks every year in the autumn and in the spring, the colour of the larch leaves would change, contrasting with the deep green of the pine forest.[2] The short duration of the effect, combined with the fact that the image could only be discerned from the air and the relative scarcity of privately owned airplanes in the area, meant that the swastika went largely unnoticed after the fall of Nazi Germany. During the subsequent communist period, Soviet authorities reportedly knew of its existence but made no effort to remove it.[3] However, in 1992, the reunified German government ordered aerial surveys of all state-owned land. The photographs were examined by forestry students, who immediately noticed the design.
Removal
The
Similar incidents
In the late 1970s, American troops discovered a swastika along with the numbers "1933" planted in a similar style in Hesse.[4] Who planted the trees is unknown.
In September 2006
A pine tree forest with the shape of the word "DVX" (Latin for duce) was planted in 1939 on Mount Giano (near Antrodoco, central Italy) to avoid landslides and is still in place.[6]
There is also a smiley planted in 2011 using larch trees. It can be "spotted by drivers traveling on Oregon 18 between Grand Ronde and Willamina".[7]
See also
- Olympic oaks, arboreal relics of 1930s Germany
- List of individual trees
Bibliography
References
- Daily Telegraph. Retrieved March 9, 2006.
- ^ a b Askin, Jennifer (4 December 2000). "Germany Destroys Forest Swastika". ABC news. Retrieved 2009-09-19.
- ^ "German forest loses swastika" BBC News, December 4, 2000, retrieved March 9, 2006
- ^ Alex Moore (9 July 2013). "Germany's insane 'Swastika Forests' are still an unsolved mystery". deathandtaxesmag.com.
- ^ C. J. Chivers (September 16, 2006). "Secrets and Lies Shroud Origins of Giant Swastika". The New York Times . Retrieved April 9, 2009.
- ^ Roma: neve sul monte Giano, riappare la scritta «DUX», Corriere della Sera
- ^ People magazine
External links
- "Swastika made of living trees cut down in German forest" CNN, December 4, 2000, retrieved March 9, 2006
- "Berlin forest swastika to go but its image may remain" from the Daily Telegraph
- (in German) "Der Hakenkreuz-Wald bei Zernikow kam unter die Säge", Berliner Zeitung from December 5, 2000. Accessed through Internet Archive.
- (in German) "Das Kreuz im Wald", Die Zeit, August 12, 2004. URL last accessed March 14, 2006.