How many rings would you guess this old tree has? Right here, towering over us, stands the alte Linde Baum-linde in Collm. It is an impressive natural monument. Its story is deeply intertwined with the history of Saxony.
The alte Linde is a summer linden tree. It is located on the cemetery grounds next to Collm Church. This is in the municipality of Wermsdorf. You see it is in the Saxon district of Nordsachsen. The alte Linde stands tall near Collmberg by the Wermsdorf Forest. In 2022, it was declared a National Heritage Tree.
This tree boasts a trunk circumference of about 11 meters. Its height reaches approximately 18 meters. The alte Linde is likely the oldest linden tree in Saxony. Determining its exact age is impossible now. Almost a century ago people already called it the 1000-year-old linden.
It is hard to tell if it is a single tree or a group of trees grown together. Experts call it a multistamm. Today, you can spot at least two main trunks. There are also two large tree hollows with many unusual growths. The tree leans at about 30 degrees. The alte Linde has been a protected natural monument since 1949.
About 800 years ago, in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Margraves of Meißen held court here. Otto the Rich was the first in 1185. They practiced the highest jurisdiction here. This involved court assemblies based on ancient Germanic law. They decided on matters of life, death, and property disputes. Records show that 15 such assemblies took place at Oschatz’s Collm until 1356.
Later, the local lords used the Gerichtslinde as a pillory. Until recently, an iron neck ring was still visible on the tree. Since 1877, the Royal Church Inspection of Saxony-Meissen allowed a donation box on the tree. The proceeds helped maintain the nearby church. The metal plaque stated the following.
“And stand for many a year. At this sacred place. As God’s altar of honor. With His almighty hands. God Himself built me. And His honor I proclaim. To the hearing ear quite loudly. Wanderer, have you heard my song? Come, bring your mite. As an offering to the great God. At His altar of honor. Your mite, offered here, Were it ever so small, To the house of His honor, It will be a building block.”
In 1926 and 1953, workers filled the dissolving heartwood with rubble and concrete. But, in 1992, during a tree restoration, a company removed these fillings. The Saxon State Ministry for Environment and Regional Development provided the funds.
Today, the tree is in good vital condition. It features many side and cross shoots. The long-eared bat uses it as a daytime shelter. Hikers through the Wermsdorf Forest or Collmberg love to visit it. They experience a hint of this impressive tree’s eventful history in its shade.
The alte Linde isn’t just a tree. It’s a living testament to Saxony’s rich past. It is a silent witness to centuries of human activity. Its presence is a reminder of nature’s enduring power.