"Chancellor fir tree" erected
After some teething troubles, the so-called Chancellor Fir was erected in front of the Federal Chancellery in Berlin on Saturday. The 17.5 meter high spruce from the Eberswalde city forest in Brandenburg is to be officially handed over to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) next Wednesday.
There was a breakdown before the tree was felled on Friday. The tractor got stuck in the soft ground of the forest not far from Berlin and the low-loader first had to be pulled out of the mud with a truck and an excavator.
Another Christmas tree is yet to arrive in Berlin: a 23-metre-high fir tree from eastern Thuringia for Pariser Platz at the Brandenburg Gate. The approximately 30-year-old conifer from the state forest was felled on Saturday in Mohlsdorf-Teichwolframsdorf, according to the Thuringia State Forestry Office. The operation in snow and wintry temperatures went off without a hitch. "Everything went well, the tree is perfect," said a spokesperson.
This is the ninth time in a row since 2015 that the tree in front of Berlin's landmark has come from the Free State. The fir tree is to be erected this Monday, according to reports. Six decorators will then need almost a whole week to decorate the tree with 15,000 energy-saving bulbs and hundreds of Christmas baubles.
The customs officials inspected the Christmas decorations accompanying the Chancellor fir tree to ensure compliance with regulations. Despite the Chancellor fir tree being a yearly tradition, some forestry practices need to adhere to sustainable forest management principles during the Christmas tree season.
Source: www.dpa.com
