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Chop the Hitler Tree Down

Posted 34 months ago|17 comments|741 views
Written by
The 'Hitler Tree' is an Oak tree in Poland that was planted in honor of Adolf Hitler's birthday. You know, Hitler, killer of the jews... Well, the mayor of the city where this Hitler tree is growing, wants to cut the oak tree down because of what it symbolized. However, there has been much opposition to the chopping down of the Hitler tree because, it's just an oak tree. The poor growing plant didn't do anything to harm anyone. However, trees are cut down all the time... so why not cut a tree down that has "roots" to Adolf Hitler? Now it's up for the polish city to decide whether the Hilter Tree should grow, or be axed. http://www.sodahead.com/question/479013/hitler-tree-to-be-chopped-down
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34 months ago: Oh Cherry, what a nice tasty little morsel you found for us. I love these things.
This is a perplexing situation. Personally I feel it is just another "Black Cat". The poor tree didn't do a thing but the problem lays in the symbolism which man has placed upon it.
I think I could live with it myself and just come to see it as another tree. However I do not have direct and personal connections with the tragedy of the Holocaust. The closest connection I have is an Uncle who served at Okinawa. Undoubtedly there are many persons in the area of the tree which lost family members and friends to the Holocaust. So the question being I suppose, is the life of one tree worth the continued suffering of possibly hundreds (or even thousands) of Poles which live around this tree and feel the pain of what it in effect symbolizes. I would have to say no, cut it down.
Now if it were me, I would have the wood processed and used to build a nice little memorial for all the Poles Hitler murdered, in this way the life of the tree would still not be taken in vain and it would now symbolize something honorable.
Great post Cherry, thanks.
34 months ago: You could be on to something Siempre. Maybe they could have a contest for ideas to rededicate the tree to. Then put the best ideas in the paper along the option to vote for cutting it down and have the people vote on it. At least this way the tree would have a chance.
34 months ago: Oh for goodness' sake!

Place a marker at the foot of the tree dedicating it to all the people who died in World War 2! End of problem.
34 months ago: Hmmm, I love those simple solutions zoolady. It's to bad they satisfy almost zero of the real life problems we face.
34 months ago: Why the immediate sarcasm, Jak? I believe we were talking about one particular problem and didn't realize YOU expected answers for every "real life problem we face" in a discussion about one tree. Mea culpa, Jak. (tongue firmly planted in cheek.)
34 months ago: Oh don't mind me zoo, I just couldn't pass up a little sarcasm. I love the fact that you can sum up a simple solution so quickly and there is really nothing wrong with that.
This is just one of those multifaceted situations which generally invite all types of argument or debate. For example the tree could actually be considered a "historic" tree considering the circumstances and be it as it may, to cut it down would be destroying a living piece of history. Also wouldn't cutting it down be indirectly killing something in connection to the Nazi regime thus by killing it you would be contributing, though it be somewhat later, yet another causality to Hitler's toll book?
Of course on the other side are many reasons to remove the tree as well.
You could be right though and it may save much time and energy to send someone out at night to saw the thing down and be done with it. Then we could all debate on whether the tree cutter actually committed a crime or a public service!
34 months ago: I didn't suggest cutting down the tree, Jak--that would be like "punishing" it. Seems to me you're making this much more complicated than it needs to be.
34 months ago: And I realize you voted to keep the tree zoo, I was just playing the devil's advocate and debating myself as an example since I voted to remove the tree initially.
34 months ago: Well it is actually rather complicated. if someone killed your loved one and hung them on a tree in your neighborhood would you not want the tree removed. This tree was planted and dedicated to Hitler while thousands of Poles were being exterminated by him in concentration camps. For us to say the Poles should just accept the tree and move on is rather in-compassionate for the Poles who lost children or parents to Hitler and then walk down the street to see a tree planted in his honor alive and well.
It is indeed a rather complicated matter if you look at the picture as a whole.
34 months ago: Especially if you WANT to complicate things.

For me, turning that tree into a momument for those Hitler ordered executed is very satisfying.

34 months ago: Fine...my encouragement is toward the Polish as they figure out how to best honor their dead.... Silly me--my thought was that this topic was here for us to comment upon.
34 months ago: I would give the tree new symbolism. Like "oops." People would like a "oops" tree that symbolized regret. Everyone can relate to that.
34 months ago: Where do the 'greens' stand on this dilemma? It looks like a hardwood to me. You grab the meat! I'll grab the chain saw and we will be smokin' on the Bar-b before night fall.

Just dig it up and send it to South America to be replanted so all of the relocated NAZI's can have a memorial.
34 months ago: Well the "greenies" definitely do not want to cut it down Cypress, I have little doubt of that. The intriguing thing is that I would not consider myself a greenie but I would hate for it to be cut down. This seems to be along the lines of dog owners that make they're dogs "vicious" and then one day a person wanders to close to the dog and it attacks them. So in every case the dog is automatically put to sleep. Personally I think the owner should be shot as well, it is really not a fair situation but since the dog has attacked a person the chances are it may attack again.
In this situation there is no chance of attack from the tree but the presence of the tree alone may be causing people whom have already suffered pain and loss due to Hitler, to continue to remember that pain every time they see the tree. So what is the "fair" thing to do?
Altruist
Altruist
Eugene, OR
33 months ago: I agree with zooladies idea. A re-dedication ceremony to commemorate the Holocaust dead would solve the problem. Most people didn't know about the Hitler connection until someone made a big deal of it. Americans have short memories and in a few weeks they would forget the whole thing and in a year when they saw the tree they would think, "Didn't that tree have something to do with Germany?" Then they would look at the Holocaust plague and say, OH Yeah!

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