Berlin's centre strip Unter den Linden ("under the linden trees/ Under the Limes) is a boulevard (images) in the heart of the city. The middle strip was once lined with 2000 Linden. Flâneurs enjoyed to wander along the scent of the lime blossom.Today 54 of the healthy, 60 year old trees are being given the chop. Between Komischer Oper (Glinkastraße) and Staatsbibliothek/ Berlin State Library (Charlottenstraße) fossil fuel machinery is moving in. Per tree it takes them 25 minutes to fell the ancient giants.
Why? The new underground railway U-Bahnlinie 5 is being built there, 20 metres deep The new Berlin building site will go on until 2019
After construction finishes in 2019, the 54 trees will be replaced with 8 to 10 year old trees (Tilia pallida), each costing 108,000 Euro.
There was apparently no protest.
Sources:
Images, Berliner Zeitung
Erste Bäume am Lindenboulevard gefällt, rbb news
Unter den Linden fallen die Linden, Focus online
Berlin's iconic boulevard Unter den Linden ("Under the Limes") have suffered under increasing temperatures recently. Spiegel
Unter den Linden boulevard trees are being killed by traffic fumes, The Telegraph 2001
European lime trees, Kew
Ja, Freund, hier unter den Linden kannst du dein Herz erbaun,.. Briefe aus Berlin. 1822, Heinrich Heine,
Music:
Der Lindenbaum by Franz Schubert, Winterreise , Prof. Scot Weir, tenor, Folkwang Gitarren Duo, video
Image:
Corinth, Lovis Berlin, Unter den Linden 1922 via Zeno
