Easter egg tree
The Saalfeld Easter tree (or Easter tree in Saalfeld ) is by its existing at Easter time Osterschmuckbehang become known apple tree of a family in Saalfeld, Thuringia. He stands in the garden of the family on the southern outskirts in the residential area on the Rödern.
History
The first time the tree was decorated in 1965, then only 18 plastic eggs. Why he started garnishing, describing initiator Volker Kraft as: . The origin is a childhood memory from 1945, when I went earlier in the school, since I had to pass a lilac bush, which was decorated for Easter ... And when I had children, as I have said, the now also get an Easter egg tree. By 1994, the number of eggs rose to about 350 pieces. With the growth of the tree more eggs were needed who procured the Krafts by blew out almost all of the eggs used in the household and then decorated with various techniques. Used eggs were packed after Easter and reused next year.
As the children of the Krafts were grown up, lost the eggs show momentum and won again only ride when the now -born grandchildren were introduced in the family tradition. The number of eggs was soon so great that the decorated tree is increasingly attracting visitors from outside the family.
Between 1994 and 2009 an annual average of 700 eggs were added, due to storms, hail or vandalism went at the same time but also dozens of Easter eggs to break ( or have been sorted out ), which hung every Easter just average 590 eggs more on the tree. However, the exact number of new eggs per year varied widely. In 2012, the magic number of 10 ` 000 eggs was first exceeded. In a television interview Volker confirmed force that now lack of sufficient storage capacity no further be added. However, the Saalfeld tree does not hold the record for the most eggs. So posted about in April 2007, the zoo of Rostock with a red oak with 76 ` 596 blew out and painted eggs into the Guinness Book of World Records.
1995 Verdi - training building was erected in the immediate vicinity, giving the tree once more visitors and national recognition bestowed.
2003, newspapers reported from the Netherlands, Kuwait, later of Austria, Spain, Thailand, Australia, USA and South Africa.
The number of visitors increases steadily ever since. For 2008, a determined by Volker Kraft installed out of curiosity counter - the entry into the private garden is free - 6000 guests. At the request of many visitors are offered on site and on the internet postcards and souvenirs from the family since 2005.
Guests arriving by coach or private car are due to lack of parking space in close proximity urged on public land in the city, especially the pool, dodge and reach the narrow access road on foot. An explanatory Directions can be found in the below web link.
Shaping of the tree
The hanging of the eggs starts depending on the weather and depending on the date of Easter between late February and late March for about four weeks before Easter. Until the entire tree is decorated, pass at over 8000 eggs up to two weeks, in 2009, it took nine days for example.
Adorning take over the family members, especially Volker Kraft himself, his wife Christa and daughter Gabriela Rumrich. Because of the already considerable size of the tree ladders must be used. The eggs are mounted progressively from top to bottom and from the inside to the outside.
Before the branches begin to expel, the tree needs to be emptied again, since it would otherwise be damaged. With the tens of thousands of brand in 2012 exceeded the upper limit has now been reached and no further increase for reasons of space possible.
Design of the eggs
All eggs are mouth- blown, most will then single or multi- colored sprinkles with patterns. In addition, there is a variety of painted eggs with motifs of the city, such as the city gates or the home - museum, but also of famous buildings around the world. Many eggs are elaborately crocheted and therefore also protected against the weather. Year after year new designs or techniques that have been recorded since 2009, perforated eggs to find the tree. Some eggs are also redesigned wide-ranging and get for example the shape of frogs, turtles, hedgehogs, or hot air balloons. These are designed with modeling more subtleties of the eggs.
But visitors of the tree bring eggs to these to hang on the tree, and with a growing audience thus increased the number of donated eggs. So eggs are now represented from distant lands.
A selection of particularly successful egg is to protect it from wind, weather and vandalism in a special showcase. In this they are then to see for all visitors.
Umhäkeltes egg
Pearl Egg
Mouse eggs