Huge protest: plane trees on the dike threatened – citizens fight back!

Huge protest: plane trees on the dike threatened – citizens fight back!

A radical pruning of the plane trees on the Neustädter Deich in Bremen is currently causing considerable unrest among the residents. The citizens' initiative “Plananes am Deich” has joined forces with affected residents to protest against the work commissioned by the environmental authority. On June 11, 2025, activists sent a clear signal by interrupting the work of the contracted horticultural company. With this campaign they want to draw attention to the devastating effects that pruning could have on the health and climate-protecting functions of trees, as Kreizeitung reports.

The protesters criticize that the pruning during the felling and breeding season may be carried out without the necessary permit and could therefore violate species protection regulations. Plane trees take on important tasks in urban areas: they lower the ambient temperature and filter fine dust. The health-endangered residents in the nearby senior citizens' facilities are particularly concerned about the consequences of these measures, which are being carried out in an area that is already highly polluted in terms of air hygiene.

Climate protection and flood safety in conflict

The environmental agency defends the decision by arguing that the cutting is necessary to ensure the safety of the dikes. Without these measures, a tree fall could not only be dangerous, but also affect the region's flood safety. In this context, the situation for the plane trees could prove to be delicate, especially since the pruning also takes place during the breeding and seeding season for winter birds. The approach has not only technical but also ethical dimensions, which the initiative vehemently addresses, according to bi-platanen-am-deich.

The environmental authority had already carried out similar pruning measures on plane trees on Becks-Ufer at the beginning of the year. These were considered important by the citizens' initiative because they not only endanger the preservation of the trees themselves, but also the basic health of the population. According to experts, an alternative concept that combines the preservation of the plane trees and yet effective flood protection could certainly be feasible.

A call to save the plane trees

In this context, the citizens' initiative is calling for a festival to save the plane trees on August 17, 2025, at which the importance of these trees will be highlighted. At the same time, the BI collected over 26,000 signatures for a referendum calling for the preservation of the plane trees. Unfortunately, the Bremen State Court previously ruled that such a referendum was inadmissible, which sees the initiative as a setback for citizen participation.

The importance of urban trees is undisputed. They not only contribute to biodiversity, but also improve the urban climate. A study by BUND Naturschutz highlights how important it is to become a sponsor for a city tree. This is particularly evident in this heated debate about the plane trees on Neustädter Deich, where citizens' initiatives and administration meet and the future of the trees in the city is at stake.