Goethe Oak - Buchenwald

**CARL** · 11-12-2015, 11:05 PM

Located within the former Häftlingslager (Prisoner's Camp) at Buchenwald, there remains the stump of a rather well known tree. Known as the Dicke Eiche ("Fat Oak"), the huge tree was left to stand on the grounds of the Konzentrationslager during its establishment by the SS. The camp was established over 100 years after the death of one of Germany's most famous sons, the writer Johann Wolfgang von Goeth (1749-1832), yet as time passed by, the prisoners gradually began to refer to the tree as the Goethe-Eiche (Goethe Oak), as a commemoration of the writer's frequent visits to the Ettersberg - the mountain upon whose slopes the camp was established. In August 1944, allied bombers attacking the Weimar area damaged the tree with one of their air strikes. As a result of this damage, the tree was felled soon after. Today, only the stump remains yet it draws attention and tribute from the numerous visitors to the site. The remains of the tree are located to the edge of a former barrack toward the northern end of the camp, close to the former Effektenkammer (Prisoner's Belongings Store).

Carl

**harryamb2** · 11-13-2015, 08:27 PM

thank you Carl.

**matty01** · 11-13-2015, 10:14 PM

Thanks Carl, looking forward to seeing it!

**Wagriff** · 11-13-2015, 10:15 PM

How sad...even the Trees suffered and died at Buchenwald..

**Pauls1970** · 11-13-2015, 10:26 PM

Thankyou for sharing Carl.
Paul

**Gunny Hartmann** · 11-13-2015, 10:49 PM

Cheers Carl!...

**CARL** · 11-15-2015, 10:55 AM

Thanks for the comments and interest gents.

by Wagriff

How sad...even the Trees suffered and died at Buchenwald..

Yes William, sad but true...

Tha name of the camp itself is actually directly related to the trees. "Buchenwald" means "Beech Forest", although it was not the original name of the camp. Initially, for a period of just under two weeks, the camp's official name was Konzentrationslager Ettersberg (Concentration Camp Ettersberg) - taken from the hill upon whose slope the camp stands. Following complaints made by the Weimar Culture Society, the name Ettersberg was dropped, replaced instead by Buchenwald, which went on to become one of many infamous appellations throughout the camp system.

Carl