| Galenbeck Dance Linden | |
|---|---|
 The Galenbeck Dance Linden | |
 | |
| Species | Tilia × europaea (Tilia × europaea) |
| Height | 14m |
The Galenbeck Dance Linden (German : Galenbecker Tanzlinde), also known as the Luisenlinde (Louise's Linden, named after Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz [1] ), is a dance linden tree located in Galenbeck, Mecklenburg Lake District, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is the only dance linden in this state. [1]
The tree is a common linden (Tilia × europaea) standing 14 meters tall. Planted in 1788, it was 234 years old as of 2022. [1]
Originally, the tree had three levels.
The dance floor, located approximately three meters above the ground, now rests on an octagonal lattice structure rebuilt in 1993. [1]
The tree is located in the former park of the manor estate and was planted in 1788 in honor of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Some sources suggest it was planted at the time of her death, but she died in 1810.[ citation needed ]
It is situated near the oaks of Rattey Castle.[ citation needed ]
Local stories explain that the linden was equipped with a dance platform because the lords liked to have tea or coffee in the tree on nice days, enjoying a magnificent view of the landscape. To offer something to the village's workers, the maids and servants could gather there after work. [2]
On the estate, in addition to the remains of the von Rieben manor and a church, there is the old manor house of the Belling family - where Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, later a Field Marshal in the Prussian Army, was imprisoned in 1760. Blücher played a decisive role in the victory over Napoleon.[ citation needed ]
Nearby, during the era of the GDR, the Large Meadow of Friedländer, adjacent to the Galenbecker See, was a massive project of the Free German Youth in the 1950s, with over 6,000 young people digging drainage ditches.[ citation needed ]
The tree was restored in 2022, [3] but its status as a natural and historical monument complicates repairs. [4]
The village festival is held annually under the linden tree.[ citation needed ]
