Perhaps you have not heard of the Natur-Liegewiese An der Königseiche. It is more than just a meadow. This place holds a story that stretches back centuries involving kings and ancient oaks.
The Natur-Liegewiese An der Königseiche. It is linked to the Königseiche or King George’s Oak. This natural monument resides near Kirchwehren. Kirchwehren is a district of Seelze in the Hanover region of Lower Saxony. The Natur-Liegewiese An der Königseiche is part of the Laubwald natural monument. It is also part of the Laubwälder südlich Seelze nature reserve.
Let’s step back in time. In 1861, Friedrich Pieper a former Hanoverian Leibförster started working at the Kirchwehren forester’s lodge. His wife had been a nanny to the Crown Prince. She allegedly had a daughter with King George V.
The village’s fairground was near the forester’s lodge. In June 1864, Kirchwehren celebrated another shooting festival. King George V and Crown Prince Ernst August attended. A round stone table with benches was set up in the woods. It was across from the forester’s lodge. A stately pedunculate oak was named “König-Georgs-Eiche”. A cast-iron plaque commemorated the event.
The Königseiche had a circumference of 4 meters in 1907. It was among other strong oaks in the district opposite the forester’s lodge. About 100 years later a storm broke the Königseiche’s trunk. The fallen wood was sawed up and used. The old plaque was moved to another tree nearby. The plaque disappeared in the early 1980s. It was replaced with a wooden sign. Years later, the cast-iron plaque was found in private hands. It is now in the Seelze Local History Museum.
In 1937 King George’s Oak was declared a natural monument. It was named Königseiche. It also became part of the oak population. This happened at the Kirchwehren forester’s lodge. This area became the Laubwald natural monument in 1939.
In the 1970s the name Königseiche transferred to another tree. This was within the same oak population. The natural monument ordinance was not revoked. The 2001 register of natural monuments lists the tree. It is under the descriptive name Königseiche. The inscription reads “King George V of Hanover stayed here on 4.6.1864”.
After the Hanover region was formed, the city of Seelze took over responsibility for natural monuments. The Königseiche now lies within the Laubwälder südlich Seelze nature reserve since 2019.
So, when you find yourself on the Natur-Liegewiese An der Königseiche, take a moment. Remember the king, the forester and the old oak. It is a place where history and nature intertwine creating a unique experience.