Didn’t the old tree whisper tales of battles and beliefs? The Walser Birnbaum stands as a symbol steeped in history and legend. It is southwest of Salzburg near Gois. It is in the municipality of Wals-Siezenheim.
Let’s step back in time. Imagine the year 1564. The Walser Birnbaum appears in records. Lazarus Gitschner spoke of it on his deathbed. A monk showed him the Untersberg’s interior. He pointed to the birnbaum where a great battle would occur. This suggests a significant tree stood here long ago.
Fast forward to the early 1800s. The tree reminded people of the Battle of Walserfeld. French and Austrian troops clashed from 1800. The French won. They marched into Salzburg. They plundered the city. In 1803, Prince-Archbishop Colloredo gave the Archbishopric to Austria. The Walser Birnbaum became a pro-Bavarian symbol. Its link to the Napoleonic battle remained unclear.
Adelbert von Chamisso’s ballad made the Walser Birnbaum famous in 1831. King Ludwig of Bavaria wanted to buy the tree in 1848. He wished to protect it. The owner refused. He believed the tree was revered. He accepted yearly payments for its care.
Tragedy struck in 1872. Vandals sawed the Walser Birnbaum. A storm finished it off a week later. This act sparked outrage. A Carinthian “hothead,” Johann Wicherl, was blamed. Some suspected locals wanting a Maypole.
Heinrich Wallmann bought land to plant a new tree in 1874. Major Skuppa planted a wild pear tree in 1875. A storm destroyed it in 1883. Wallmann and historian Franz Valentin Zillner planted the last tree in 1887.
The city of Salzburg inherited the Walser Birnbaum in 1899. It became a natural monument in 1932. Nazis tried to make it a Germanic “Thingbaum.” Americans considered cutting it down after the war. They saw its lack of grandeur. In 1970, Salzburg gave the tree to Wals-Siezenheim. It became their symbol.
The Walser Birnbaum suffered from fungus in its final years. Experts said it lived a full life. A new tree was planted in 2015. It stands near the Battle of Walserfeld memorial. The new Walser Birnbaum has a circular bench. A stone and iron railing surrounds the seating area.
Legends swirl around the Walser Birnbaum. One claims it sprouted in 476 AD. It was watered with the blood of Germanic children sacrificed to Jupiter. The returning Germans took its seeds. It became the ancestor of all German pear trees.
Another tale involves Charlemagne. He sleeps in the Untersberg. He will fight the final battle against evil at the Walser Birnbaum. This will happen when the ravens leave the Untersberg’s peak. If evil wins, fire will rain. Hell’s riders will collect souls.
Even in the 19th century, people feared felling the Walser Birnbaum. They believed it brought an unnatural death and no male heirs. It also stood as a symbol of fertility.
Today, the Walser Birnbaum remains a potent symbol. It represents Wals-Siezenheim on its coat of arms. A bronze sculpture stands at the Salzburg-West exit roundabout. It depicts the Walser Birnbaum. It stands in a soccer ball-shaped grid. It bears six pears.
The original Walser Birnbaum’s wood was crafted into a cabinet for Crown Prince Rudolf in 1881. The Salzburg Museum holds the rootstock of the 1872 tree.
So, as you stand before the Walser Birnbaum, remember its stories. It represents battles, beliefs, and the enduring spirit of this land. It has witnessed centuries of history. It is a symbol that continues to inspire.