Development
and activities of the Tree Protection Initiative in Hannover
Since
1985, extensive correspondence with the ...Grünflächenamt
about
disgraces in the Georgengarten and lack of tree protection
1989:
Fight
for a “car-free” Georgengarten(Regional
Council, newspapers)
1991:
...Fachaufsichtsbeschwerdevia
the Environment Protection Office because of unlicensed cutting down of
trees (particularly by offices and authorities)
1993:
Extension
of Nienburger Street. Requiring and realisation of tree protection
measures: building of a tree protection curtain (which, however, was ruined
again by the Grünflächenamt by driving over it!)
1995:
Diploma
paper by Matthias Hollerbach on this building measure:
"Tree
protection in the planning process of building measures of municipal road
construction –
Analysis based on a case study in Hannover" (University of Hannover) .
January
1994: Application as Field and Forest Guard at the Town Clerk’s
Office
18.
January 1995: Appointment and nomination as honorary field and forest
guard of the city of Hannover-for
two years “on approval”.
Spring
1995: parts of the University move into the Continental skyscraper.
Protest
against cars parking on tree islands ...Baumscheiben:
talks with Environment Protection Office, Civil Engineering Office, Grünflächenamt,
University, Federal Structural Engineering Office, and police.
Prohibited
by the Town Clerk’s Office to turn to the newspapers (Requirement to
remain silent)
August
1995: in front of the Continental skyscraper, bollards are erected
to protect the trees and lawn against cars.
November
1995: Objection against the damage of trees during the Historical Restoration
of the Georgengarten at the Environment Protection Committee, Regional
Council North, Conurbation Union, Expo, Regional Government, Department
for Environment Protection of Lower Saxony at Hannover, Federal Department
for Environment Protection at Bonn.
December
1995: unanimous decision of the Local Council of the city of Hannover
in
favour of the planned change-over of the Georgengarten (without initial
visit of the location!) under the condition of particular tree protection.
May
1996: Beginning of the building measures in the Georgengartenby
a road construction contractor: building of the lawn oval in front
of the Wilhelm-Busch-Museum.
Newspapers
informed because of damage to trees (cut-off roots vanished without
a trace!)
Summer
1996: 1050 signatures handed over to Mayor Schmalstieg against
a further change-over of the Georgengarten.
Due
to the high approval, founding of the Tree Protection Initiative Hannover
26.8.96:
Demonstration
against further road construction through Herrenhäuser Allee
October
1996: Photo-exhibition "My friend the tree – how should we treat our
friends?" in the North library (with evening lectures)
Nov/Dec
96: Repetition of the photo-exhibition due to the high demand at
the public library Am Lindener Marktplatz
6.
January 1997: first Inhabitants‘ question time in the Environment Protection
Committee.
Question:
"Are the tree protection statutes valid also for the town administration?"
10.
January 1997: surprising cancellation of my honorary post for 17.1.97
by the Town Clerk’s Office of Hannover – due to my complaints and reports
about breaking of the tree protection statutes.
February
1997: Open letter to the EXPO-City Hannover (disappeared in the
Mayor’s Office!)
February
1997: Repetition of the photo-exhibition at the public library Roderbruch
April
1997: Repetition of the photo-exhibition at the public library Limmer
Straße (with children’s handicraft event)
April
97: complaint about the parking chaos at the Zoo. (Letter disappeared
again in the Mayor’s Office – in spite of a confirmation of receipt!)
June
97: Repetition of the photo-exhibition at the public library Herrenhausen
7.
June 97: Information stall
at the Herrenhausen market
29.
June 97: Information stall at the summer festival of the Birkenhof
5.
July 97: Information stallbat
the children’s festival at the Lutherkirche with children’s handcraft event
8.
July 97: Wendland-School: talk to four forms about tree protection
12.
July 97: Information stall at the Callin Street festival with children’s
handcraft event
13.
July 97: Information stall bat the summer festival of the Corvinus
Church with handcraft event
3.
August 97: Information stall at the Kröpcke
10.
August 97: Information stall in the Georgengarten
31.
August 97: Information stall at the open-air concert of the Chopin-Society
in front of the Wilhelm-Busch-Museum
Sept/Oct.
97:Repetition of the photo-exhibition
in
the school biology centre Hannover-Herrenhausen-Burg(was
boycotted by the hosts!)
14.
Sept. 97: Environment forum with exhibition, information stall, and
handcraft
event.
28.
Sept. 97: Sunday-morning walk in the school-biology centre about
the topic "My friend the tree – how should we treat our friends?"
May
98: complaint about VIP cars in front of the Wilhelm-Busch-Museum (at
the newly built lawn oval!)
July98:
complaints about cars on lawn areas and tree islands in the Georgengarten
–
in particular at major events: cars are permitted to park below trees –
with official licence of the town administration!
August
98: Reply of the Grünflächenamtes to newspaper reports
Interview
with Radio Flora about the tree protection statutes in Hannover
Complaint
about garbage bags in the Georgengarten
1999:
55
E-mails to the head of the Grünflächenamtes about disgraces
in the Georgengarten (some of which disappeared)
Sept.
99: repeated pleas for support to the Regional Council North
approx.
30 newspaper articles
and letters to the Editor