Goethe Oak (or Goethe's Oak), is a name given to a number of oak trees in Germany that are referred to in this way because they allegedly bear some sort of connection to the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Goethe Oaks near Silkerode, Thuringia; Goethe, on his first tour of the Harz (1777), is supposed to have walked along them.
Perhaps the most famous one is the oak tree near Weimar, Germany, on the Ettersberg, at the foot of which was the castle of Charlotte von Stein.[1] The oak, in the middle of a beech forest, is named thus because it is supposedly the tree under which Goethe wrote "Wanderer's Nightsong",[2] or, alternatively, the location where he composed the Walpurgisnacht passages of his Faust. The fate of the oak became in due course associated with the fate of Germany: if the one were to fall, so would the other.[1]
According to the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation, the name 'Goethe Oak' was simply an epithet made up by the inmates of Buchenwald camp in commemoration of the walks Goethe was known to have made in the area. The large, old tree had previously been labeled the Dicke Eiche (English:"thick oak") on maps of the area.[3]
The end of the Buchenwald oak
The remains of the Goethe Oak in the former Buchenwald concentration camp
The beech forest was cleared in 1937[4] to make way for the Buchenwald concentration camp.[1] Originally the camp was to be called KL Ettersberg ("KL" for Konzentrationslager), but this was abandoned because the Ettersberg name was so closely connected to the life of Goethe.[5] The tree stood in the center of the camp,[1] and is reputed to have served also for the hanging and torture of prisoners. The tree was hit by an Allied incendiary bomb on 24 August 1944 and burned all night long.[1] It is preserved (being cast in concrete under the auspices of the DDR government, which also laid a plaque saying "Goethe Eiche"[5]) and is part of the Buchenwald memorial.[4][6][7] For the SS guards and the prisoners, the tree held two completely different meanings: for the SS it was a link to the Germany they thought they represented, but for the prisoners the tree pointed to a different Germany from the one they experienced in the camp.[8][9] According to Amos Oz, the incorporation of the oak in the camp and its subsequent destruction are evidence that the Nazis destroyed their own heritage,.[10] In Der Totenwald, camp survivor Ernst Wiechert recalls standing under the oak and reflecting on the two Germanies it represented — what later scholars would call the "Januskopf Deutschlands", the Weimar-Buchenwald dichotomy. The tree gave its name to another book by a survivor, Pierre Julitte's L'Arbre de Goethe (1965).[11] The oak was sketched by Léon Delarbre, who used to sit under its "charred limbs" and compose poetry.[12]
^ abcdePrisoner 4935 (4 November 2006). "Über die Goethe-Eiche im Lager Buchenwald". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Wojciech Simson (trans.). Retrieved 8 March 2014.
^Gorra, Michael (2009). The Bells in Their Silence: Travels through Germany. Princeton UP. p. 16. ISBN9781400826018.
^Goethe Oak. Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
^ abYoung, Peter (2013-02-15). Oak. Reaktion Books. pp. 128–29. ISBN9781780230597.
^ abAly, Götz (27 May 1999). "Goethe-Zeichnungen in Buchenwald, Porträts jüdischer Häftlinge im Schillermuseum: Vom Antlitz zur Maske". Berliner Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2014.
^Cook, Christopher (11 July 2010). "Goethe's Oak". BBC Online. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
^"Goethe Oak". Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
^Neumann, Klaus (2000). Shifting Memories: The Nazi Past in the New Germany. U of Michigan P. pp. 179–80. ISBN9780472087105.
^Jacobson, Mark (2010). The Lampshade: A Holocaust Detective Story from Buchenwald to New Orleans. Simon and Schuster. pp. 9–10. ISBN9781416566304.
^Oz, Amos (2009). The Amos Oz Reader. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 384. ISBN9780156035668.
^Ziolkowski, Theodore (2001). "Das Treffen in Buchenwald oder Der vergegenwärtigte Goethe". Modern Language Studies (in German). 31 (1): 131–50. doi:10.2307/3195281. JSTOR 3195281.
^Jenkins, David Fraser (2000). John Piper: The Forties. New Age International. p. 84. ISBN9780856675348.
^"The most beautiful Czech gardens and parks – Part 3 (Bohemia)". Hello Czech Republic. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
^Wessel, Stephan (19 July 2011). "Erkundung des Wanderweges Kurfürstlicher Thiergarten" (in German). Retrieved 9 March 2014.
^"Geschichte am Wegesrand - Wandern im Kurfürstlichen Tiergarten Arnsberg" (in German). Urlaub und Reise News. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Goethe oak, Buchenwald.
January 07, 2023
goethe, goethe, name, given, number, trees, germany, that, referred, this, because, they, allegedly, bear, some, sort, connection, poet, johann, wolfgang, goethe, near, silkerode, thuringia, goethe, first, tour, harz, 1777, supposed, have, walked, along, them,. Goethe Oak or Goethe s Oak is a name given to a number of oak trees in Germany that are referred to in this way because they allegedly bear some sort of connection to the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Goethe Oaks near Silkerode Thuringia Goethe on his first tour of the Harz 1777 is supposed to have walked along them Contents 1 History 2 The end of the Buchenwald oak 3 Other Goethe oaks 4 ReferencesHistory EditPerhaps the most famous one is the oak tree near Weimar Germany on the Ettersberg at the foot of which was the castle of Charlotte von Stein 1 The oak in the middle of a beech forest is named thus because it is supposedly the tree under which Goethe wrote Wanderer s Nightsong 2 or alternatively the location where he composed the Walpurgisnacht passages of his Faust The fate of the oak became in due course associated with the fate of Germany if the one were to fall so would the other 1 According to the Buchenwald and Mittelbau Dora Memorials Foundation the name Goethe Oak was simply an epithet made up by the inmates of Buchenwald camp in commemoration of the walks Goethe was known to have made in the area The large old tree had previously been labeled the Dicke Eiche English thick oak on maps of the area 3 The end of the Buchenwald oak Edit The remains of the Goethe Oak in the former Buchenwald concentration camp The beech forest was cleared in 1937 4 to make way for the Buchenwald concentration camp 1 Originally the camp was to be called KL Ettersberg KL for Konzentrationslager but this was abandoned because the Ettersberg name was so closely connected to the life of Goethe 5 The tree stood in the center of the camp 1 and is reputed to have served also for the hanging and torture of prisoners The tree was hit by an Allied incendiary bomb on 24 August 1944 and burned all night long 1 It is preserved being cast in concrete under the auspices of the DDR government which also laid a plaque saying Goethe Eiche 5 and is part of the Buchenwald memorial 4 6 7 For the SS guards and the prisoners the tree held two completely different meanings for the SS it was a link to the Germany they thought they represented but for the prisoners the tree pointed to a different Germany from the one they experienced in the camp 8 9 According to Amos Oz the incorporation of the oak in the camp and its subsequent destruction are evidence that the Nazis destroyed their own heritage 10 In Der Totenwald camp survivor Ernst Wiechert recalls standing under the oak and reflecting on the two Germanies it represented what later scholars would call the Januskopf Deutschlands the Weimar Buchenwald dichotomy The tree gave its name to another book by a survivor Pierre Julitte s L Arbre de Goethe 1965 11 The oak was sketched by Leon Delarbre who used to sit under its charred limbs and compose poetry 12 Other Goethe oaks EditAnother Goethe oak is in Krasny Dvur Castle in Bohemia today in the Czech Republic estimated to be 1000 years old 13 The Arnsberg Forest Nature Park in Sauerland claims one as well a beech named for Friedrich Schiller fell victim to a storm in 2007 14 15 References Edit a b c d e Prisoner 4935 4 November 2006 Uber die Goethe Eiche im Lager Buchenwald Neue Zurcher Zeitung in German Wojciech Simson trans Retrieved 8 March 2014 Gorra Michael 2009 The Bells in Their Silence Travels through Germany Princeton UP p 16 ISBN 9781400826018 Goethe Oak Buchenwald and Mittelbau Dora Memorials Foundation Retrieved 6 August 2017 a b Young Peter 2013 02 15 Oak Reaktion Books pp 128 29 ISBN 9781780230597 a b Aly Gotz 27 May 1999 Goethe Zeichnungen in Buchenwald Portrats judischer Haftlinge im Schillermuseum Vom Antlitz zur Maske Berliner Zeitung in German Retrieved 8 March 2014 Cook Christopher 11 July 2010 Goethe s Oak BBC Online Retrieved 7 March 2014 Goethe Oak Buchenwald and Mittelbau Dora Memorials Foundation Retrieved 7 March 2014 Neumann Klaus 2000 Shifting Memories The Nazi Past in the New Germany U of Michigan P pp 179 80 ISBN 9780472087105 Jacobson Mark 2010 The Lampshade A Holocaust Detective Story from Buchenwald to New Orleans Simon and Schuster pp 9 10 ISBN 9781416566304 Oz Amos 2009 The Amos Oz Reader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt p 384 ISBN 9780156035668 Ziolkowski Theodore 2001 Das Treffen in Buchenwald oder Der vergegenwartigte Goethe Modern Language Studies in German 31 1 131 50 doi 10 2307 3195281 JSTOR 3195281 Jenkins David Fraser 2000 John Piper The Forties New Age International p 84 ISBN 9780856675348 The most beautiful Czech gardens and parks Part 3 Bohemia Hello Czech Republic Retrieved 7 March 2014 Wessel Stephan 19 July 2011 Erkundung des Wanderweges Kurfurstlicher Thiergarten in German Retrieved 9 March 2014 Geschichte am Wegesrand Wandern im Kurfurstlichen Tiergarten Arnsberg in German Urlaub und Reise News 19 July 2012 Retrieved 9 March 2014 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Goethe oak Buchenwald Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Goethe Oak amp oldid 1050311748, wikipedia, wiki, 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