The trees that created history: Tree of the Year 2011

Over the centuries and nowadays the linden tree was witness to several tragic events. The village from the Banatus valley, in the vicinity of the tree and the church, was attacked by tartars in 1661 that destroyed the village. 

According to the written documents the tree survived several catastrophes that come upon the village. Local people believe that the linden tree was planted in a lucky place because it survived long period of drought, hail storms, fires and as well as the floods in 1864.

Wedding and baptism parties took place in its thick shade, people danced at celebrations, where grandfathers and grandmothers selected their future grandsons- and granddaughters-in-law. Until late in the evening the area would resound with the merry din of carefree children playing in the big hollow of the tree.

They saved the tree, though it got a big wound that never healed. Still, today its lofty trunk rises proudly and when a storm starts to rage and thunderbolts to fall, it embraces the village and receives the whole charge of the sky.

It is a main symbol of the town and a beautiful place neighbouring the old castle and the new wooden library designed by Imre Makovecz and an outdoor thermal spa. Dates, balls, meetings, town feasts, concerts and many other events have been watched silently by this veteran.

The plane has inspired numberless poems, love letters, paintings and other works of art. In 2007, the 12-year-old Pálma Horváth was also inspired by the tree. In her short story, the trees in the park become alive every 125 year and have a feast.

The Oak in Dubinné is at least 800 years old, perhaps more. It is possible that the village was built around the oak which had to be a majestic tree already at those times. The villagers have been able to protect their tree by nowadays, although its fate, have been often tough.

During the Hussites’ movement in Slovakia (1440-1465) the villagers have paid a high compensation to soldiers to not cut the sacred tree. Similarly the tree was saved during the First and Second World Wars, when the tree served as an aiming mark.

Later on the Oak stood in way to engineers and constructors during the electrification of the village and the community had to raise the voice for the tree again. The Oak is hollow and the oldest parts of the trunk have rotten. Despite all, the tree is still growing.

The tree survived a fire in 1985 and was injured by lightning ten years later. It is an important landmark for many locals, so volunteers have organised collections in the past to secure necessary maintenance. Although it is not the “beauty”, it deserves our protection and respect for its impressive age and history.

The tree grows on a place called Keeper’s shed - the lake keeper’s house stood there. It got its name after strong man Hrom (Czech for thunder), charcoal-burner who had a cot next to the lake. The stories say that Hrom revolted against the officer of the church and refused to join his armed guards. He set his cot on fire and vanished in the woods.

For it’s growth (height of 27 m and girth of 6,3 m), age of 433 years and an important historical heritage the tree was declared protected by state. The tree is a living witness of the 16th century peasants' revolts against the building of the lake, serfdom, the Thirty Years' War and modern history.

The oak tree has been watching the generations change and how the surrounding landscape has changed significantly. In 2010, the tree won the Tree of the Year in the Czech Republic and in 2011 it came fifth in the European Tree of the Year competition.