Drama about historic plane tree: arson attack at Belvedere train station!

Drama about historic plane tree: arson attack at Belvedere train station!

The dispute over the felling of a controversial plane tree at the historic Belvedere train station in Müngersdorf has generated strong media interest in recent days. On Friday last week there was an arson attack on the tree, which became known on Monday. An attentive witness noticed the fire and alerted the fire department and police shortly afterwards. Thanks to quick intervention, the fire was quickly extinguished, but the bark of the tree was badly burned up to the level of the upper floor of the station, and a wooden support around the tree was destroyed by the flames.

The police have started an investigation into “damage to property caused by fire”, but there is still no information about possible suspects. Holger Sticht, chairman of BUND NRW, condemned the attack and expressed his hopes that the perpetrators would be caught soon. The situation around the plane tree is tense because it is in the immediate vicinity of the oldest surviving train station building in Germany, which has been a listed building since 1839.

Criticism and demands

The roots of the plane tree, which penetrate deep into the ground, are infiltrating the listed building and could endanger its existence. The support association and monument conservationists have been calling for the tree to be felled for over ten years, while environmentalists have vehemently resisted it. Elisabeth Maria Spiegel, representative of the support group, said that anyone who is angry with the city administration could theoretically be considered a perpetrator.

The city of Cologne granted an exemption from the fundamental ban on felling, which is anchored in the landscape plan. This was based on the assumption that there was a public interest in felling “Platane 1”, as it potentially posed a danger to the station building. It was argued that falling timber and the building's roots posing a risk. But the Cologne Administrative Court recently ruled in favor of BUND in an expedited procedure and banned the felling for the time being. This happened on August 4, 2025 and was justified by the ban on felling in accordance with the landscape plan and the equal priority of nature and monument protection.

Court ruling and outlook

The court also found that there was insufficient evidence that the plane tree actually endangered the listed building. In addition, felling could also cause further damage to the neighboring plane tree No. 2. The administrative court considered the public interest in preserving the former station building to be paramount despite the current uncertainties.

“The decision represents an important step in the right direction,” said Sticht from BUND. The Higher Administrative Court in Münster will now take the next step if an appeal is lodged against the decision. This means that the situation surrounding the plane tree and its felling remains tense. The question of how nature and monument protection can coexist harmoniously in the future also arises in the context of the legal regulations that are intended to ensure the preservation of cultural monuments. The federal states' monument protection laws require comprehensive care and preservation of cultural values ​​that affect the general public.

The next few weeks will provide information about what happens next with the controversial plane tree and whether a compromise can be found between the parties concerned. One thing is certain: it's about more than just a tree.