Gerichtslinde

Linden Court are a form of legal sites. There are ancient trees standing singly in a prominent place near a village. Under this tree was in the Middle Ages, the village court or council, called the Thing, held in the open air.

" In the Middle Ages, the court found frequent in the protection of the tree, was but the duty to hold the court in the open air ... The to protect Gerichtsstätten planted individual trees or groups of trees were the frequency to Linden, elm, oak, spruce and ash trees. Clearly dominated the lime tree, which the superstition attributed to a variety of special and strong magical effects. So one should be protected under the linden safest from lightning. For the election of lime tree par excellence to the court also their high stature, their rapid growth, its high life span of several hundred years and their dense canopy were certainly decisive. In addition, Linde relatively well interventions by man can withstand, such as the support and redirecting the branches, to increase the protected area or to set up a dance floor in her crown. The close connection between Linde and court comes in some areas Dtld.s also reflected in the fact that the word lime is used as a synonym for justice. "

Origin and occupied places

Former Linden Court in North West Germany to be a word for the village square (which is not related to the word Thing ) called Thie - Linde. The occasionally occurring Name Tilly Linde is returned to local legends on the commander Johann Graf von Tilly t'Serclaes, but can be derived from the Latin name for Linden (Tilia ) are derived.

Old Court Linden can be found today in many places, including in Bargischow, Berndshausen, Birnfeld, Castell, Collm, Frankfurt am Main, Göttingen on Leinebergland, Großgoltern, Duke Reuth, Hohenpölz, Kalkar, Kierspe, Lüdenscheid ( style Kinger Lehngericht ), weary of the Örtze, Neuenrade, at the field Church ( Neuwied ), Hemmendorf ( Salzhemmendorf ), Schaumburg, Upstedt and Warmsen. Also possibly the oldest tree in Germany, Linde in Schenklengsfeld, formerly a court Linde.

These old, under conservation natural monuments have loud local chronicles often an age of over 1000 years. Although Linden can reach a very old age, the age " Millennial Linden" must be questioned. It is more likely that one of destroyed by lightning or storm tree was replaced at the same point by replanting.

At the Göttingen court Linde the last public execution was carried out by the sword January 20, 1859. The maid had the master baker Siebert, who had promised to marry her poisoned. To deter all the servants of Göttingen and the surrounding area had to attend the execution.

Examples

Linde court in Duke Reuth

900 year old linden court in Neuenrade

Court Linde in Mönchengladbach

The Bordesholmer Linde, a former court Linde in Bordesholm

1000 year old court Linde in Collm

Court Linde in Lochmaben - Vollmarshausen