How many rings do the felled trees on Bahnhofstrasse have that were listed as historical monuments?
And what happens now to the tree trunks?
A discussion arose around these two questions in the building committee on Tuesday evening.
An expert may possibly be consulted again.
Penzberg – Two weeks ago, the two listed trees on Bahnhofstrasse in Penzberg were felled.
Since then, the criticism has not subsided.
On the corner near the town square is one of the crime scenes of the Penzberg murder night on April 28, 1945. One victim was hanged there, and a second victim miraculously survived.
The felling was also discussed in the Penzberg building committee on Tuesday evening.
Martin Janner (PM) wanted to know how old the trees were.
We have to be able to clarify that now, he said.
What was meant was counting the annual rings.
On the other hand, he asked how it is decided what happens to the tribes.
The question of age is much discussed
The question of age is much discussed.
The Penzberg Monument Association is certain that these are the trees from the night of the murder on April 28, 1945.
He sees this confirmed by the most recent tree report (before felling) with an age estimate of around 100 years, which prompted the State Office for Monument Protection to place the trees under monument protection.
However, this age is also repeatedly questioned.
“Then we don’t need any more guesswork”
Mayor Stefan Korpan (CSU) said in the building committee on Tuesday that he and two employees counted the rings independently of each other - on the trunk of what was once the second tree next to the intersection.
Korpan emphasized several times that he was not an expert and did not know whether he had counted the annual rings correctly (in lime wood they are not always clearly visible).
But he and an employee came up with 86 rings, and another employee came up with 83 rings.
In that case, the tree would have been seven years old in 1945, he said.
“We certainly didn’t miss count by 20 annual rings.” The question now, says Korpan, is whether this should be checked.
When asked after the meeting, he said that this would probably be done.
At the meeting, Hardi Lenk (SPD) spoke out in favor of commissioning an audit.
“Then we no longer have to guess whether they are or are not.
Then we have it in black and white,” he said.
You owe that to the matter too.
A formal decision on this was not made at the meeting.
The city council or committee should decide what happens to the tribes
To Janner's question about what should happen to the tribes, Korpan replied that the city council or a committee will decide.
Suggestions have already been received from the population, from the administration and even from a child for the logs, which are no longer located at the back of the town square but, according to Korpan, were brought to Gut Hub on Monday.
“We are currently collecting,” said the mayor.
The suggestions would then be put forward in the committee.
According to him, this should happen by April at the latest.
Suggestions already received
Hardi Lenk said that he had already been asked by a Penzberg artist what would happen to the tree trunks.
He told him that he was welcome to contact the town hall.
It would be good if a Penzberg artist had a nice idea, says Lenk.
In this context, Martin Janner suggested launching a call for artists straight away.
It remained unclear at the meeting whether this should take place in the form of a competition.
Jack Eberl (FLP) viewed it as positive when artists submit suggestions.
But he asked whether this also makes sense if it turns out that the trees are younger.
Do you then go the same way or do something at their previous location, he asked.
Ludwig Schmuck (CSU), who also spoke out in favor of a report at the meeting “to be on the safe side,” suggested that the artist’s results then be displayed at the cemetery near the graves of the murder victims.
However, Lenk pointed out that the soft lime wood is not very suitable for outdoor use.
It either has to be placed in a protected place, like the sculpture in front of the Bürgersaal in Iffeldorf, or in an interior space.
Armin Jabs (BfP) drew attention to another circumstance: the gravestones for the murder victims at the Penzberg cemetery are crumbling and the names can hardly be read, he said.
“We should definitely address this” – before April 28th.