Tacitus described the wild lands of Germania in 98 A.D. as “covered either by bristling forests or foul swamps.” Those ancient trees may have long since vanished. However, modern Germany’s capital of Berlin is still home to a vast and vital urban forest.
Berlin is actually one of the greenest cities in Europe. About one third of its land is taken up by parks and green spaces. The streets are lined with over 430,000 trees. Yes, you read that right. Nearly half a million trees line the city streets of Berlin.
Lindens, which are also known as lime trees or basswoods, are the most common. Their heart-shaped leaves are visible all over the European capital. They even lend their name to the city’s grand central boulevard, Unter den Linden. This was once Berlin’s answer to Paris’ Champs Elysee or New York’s Fifth Avenue.
Street lindens belong to Berlin’s city scape, but they are not very old. Not many are older than 70. During the 1940s, 60 percent of street trees were wiped out by World War II. Trees that survived the Allied bombing were cut down for firewood in the freezing winters that followed.
Post-war reforesting became an act of restoration and resilience. The first linden was replanted in 1949 by Mayor Ernst Reuter. This was during the Soviet blockade of West Berlin. This replanting effort was judged to be so important for morale that, along with food and supplies, the US Air Force flew in nearly 200,000 young saplings into the divided city.
Berlin’s trees are under attack again, unfortunately. This time it’s from chronic drought. An app has been created to save them. Named Water the Neighborhood, this interactive platform invites users to keep an eye on local trees and, in times of need, they should bring a bucket of water or splash from a hose. The map displays over 600,000 individual trees – both in city parks and on the streets – and provides up-to-date information on species, age, water needs and recent rainfall.
Developed by CityLAB Berlin, the app shows people digital solutions for real-life problems. This app is very important because, for the first time in generations, Berlin’s trees are disappearing. Extreme weather is the main cause of this.
Some say that the situation is urgent. In the dry years since 2018, about 20 percent of Berlin’s trees have been felled. The city is trying very hard to keep up with the tree loss by planting more trees, but it costs money and takes effort. With apps like Water the Neighborhood officials are hopeful that this tree problem can be arrested.
We think that this is a unique app and interesting way to keep trees alive. We are encouraged by the creativity of the Germans and believe that other cities and countries follow suit. We hope that you enjoyed this article and look forward to bringing you more tree news from around the world.
