As of: March 8, 2024, 6:30 a.m
By: Andreas Steppan
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Only the tree stump remains of a once proud chestnut tree in the Frauenfreithof next to the Tölz parish church.
Residents and the tree protection officer were presented with a fait accompli.
© Arndt Pröhl
The residents and the tree protection officer feel taken by surprise: There is criticism of the unannounced felling of a stately tree next to the Tölzer.
Bad Tölz - When a tree is felled, it hurts many people's souls - but sometimes it is unavoidable.
Opinions differ as to whether this was also the case in the case of an old chestnut tree in the Tölzer Frauenfreithof.
Residents and owners of nearby businesses criticize the removal of the beautiful tree.
Richard Hoch, tree protection officer for the city council, complains that the felling - unlike usual in such cases - was carried out without consulting him.
Chestnut felled at Frauenfreithof in Bad Tölz
It was February 29th when Richard Hoch's phone rang.
A citizen informed him that employees of the municipal depot had just removed the last remains of a once proud chestnut tree between the town parish church and the Alter Madlschule.
Later, a few more corresponding messages were received by the tree protection officer.
Veterinarian Ulrike Vogele is among those mourning the loss of the tree.
“This tree shaped the cityscape,” she says.
“We were all frustrated, unhappy and horrified.” In the largely paved area it would probably be even hotter without the giant providing shade.
The birds and squirrels will miss the tree as a habitat.
Voegele thinks it is “no longer appropriate for something like this to happen secretly, without the residents being informed.”
Especially in this day and age, “it would do us all good to talk to each other and not to confront people with a fait accompli,” she emphasizes.
The reason for the tree felling was a transformer house
Businessman Peter von der Wippel, owner of “Sport Peter” looked directly at the chestnut tree from his office window until February 29th.
“It has improved the place a lot,” he says.
He thinks it's a shame that the tree is now gone.
Von der Wippel is particularly surprised at the lack of consultation.
“Then why is there a tree protection officer?” he asks himself.
“Only if there had been consultation could we have seen whether there was a better solution.”
When asked by our newspaper, town hall spokeswoman Birte Stahl cited “development measures by the municipal utilities” as an “indispensable” reason for the felling.
A transformer station will be built in the area, “which will replace the existing one and increase the output for future requirements,” said Stahl.
The new location was selected in advance together with the city.
Hurry was required when felling trees
“It was only in the course of ongoing work that it became clear that it was not possible to lay the empty pipes past the tree without damaging the roots,” the press spokeswoman continued.
“Due to the necessary high number of empty pipes, a large part of the roots would have been affected.” This would have meant that the chestnut would no longer have been stable.
“In addition, the exposed roots were damaged by winter service, so the decision was ultimately made to fell the tree at short notice.”
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Because, according to the Nature Conservation Act, it is no longer permitted to fell trees from March 1st, things had to be done quickly - and February 29th was the last possible day that the leap year had given those responsible.
“In the rush, we unfortunately failed to inform the tree protection commission, which is usually involved in these processes,” admits Otterbach.
The procedure had been agreed upon with Simon Behmenburg, tree inspector for the city of Bad Tölz.
For me it is a no-go to cut down such a beautiful, ecologically valuable tree that is important for the cityscape and provides shade.
Richard Hoch, tree protection officer for the Tölzer city council
“The justification is not enough for me,” clarifies Richard Hoch.
“I don’t question the fact that a transformer house is important,” said the Green city councilor.
“Everyone wants the line to be stable.” Hoch only questions whether this beautiful urban corner with the recently upgraded community garden in the neighborhood is really the best place for it.
“I can’t judge the necessity off the top of my head.”
And: “I would strongly doubt whether felling the chestnut is the only solution.” The most cost-effective and, in a figurative sense, “cheapest” option is not always the best, says Hoch.
This should also be contrasted with the fact that it was a beautiful, healthy tree, and “not a small one”.
Judging by the rings on the tree disc, the chestnut had been “tens of years old”.
“For me it is a no-go to cut down such a beautiful, ecologically valuable tree that is important for the cityscape and provides shade,” says Hoch.
Felling also on the Krottenbach and in the spa park
But he also adds that the agreements with him as tree protection officer and chairman of the tree protection commission work better in other cases.
The felling of two black pines on the Krottenbach near the triple gym on Jahnstrasse was coordinated with him.
“One of the trees was diseased, the second was so damaged by previous civil engineering work by the municipal utility that it was not able to survive in the long term.” He would become one solely on the grounds that the trees were polluting a gutter – which was also the case here But do not agree to the felling.
In his view, the removal of trees in the spa park in favor of expanding the local heating network was also okay.
“They were actually massively damaged.” And when it comes to felling for traffic safety, “we don’t even have to discuss it,” says Hoch.
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In general, he also praises the fact that the city is now making greater efforts to care for and preserve trees in the city.
“A lot more is being done than before.” He therefore hopes that the chestnut case, which was not agreed upon, remains an exception.