To mark the completion of the second restoration phase and the planting of a ‘Tree of Peace’, the Residence City of Neustrelitz, the “Tree of Peace” organisation, and the Grand Ducal House invited people to the Schlosskoppel on 29 March 2025 where a pedunculate oak was planted with around 50 guests in attendance.
The ‘Tree of Peace’ project was created in Slovakia in 2018, on the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, by the non governmental organisation Servare et Manere. The Neustrelitz ‘Tree of Peace’ was the 38th to be planted. In total trees have been planted in 22 countries across 4 continents.
Prior to the planting, the speakers emphasised the necessity for symbols of peace and for a commitment to peace:
Neustrelitz’s Mayor, Andreas Grund, emphasized that peace is not only the absence of war, but also peace between people, within the community, and within the family. He recalled the more than 200 year old history of the Schlosskoppel, which was established under the reign of Duke Carl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and is being redesigned in several phases at significant expense.
The Duke of Mecklenburg expressed his hope that both this tree, as a symbol, and peace among humanity will grow and flourish.
Marek Sobola, the Tree of Peace organisation’s founder and Secretary General, said: “The Tree of Peace initiative connects two important issues of our time: peace and climate change. May the Tree of Peace remind us of friendship and understanding.” He brought soil from Slovakia to Neustrelitz for the planting.
The representative of the Slovak ambassador to Germany, Martin Jajcay, thanked the participants for the invitation to Neustrelitz. Peace, he said, cannot be taken for granted; his country has experienced this painfully throughout history and therefore he supports this symbolic planting.
District Administrator Heiko Kärger, city president Max Odebrecht, Martin Jajcay and the Duke of Mecklenburg then completed the planting. The youngest member of the grand ducal family, the one and a half year old Duke Leopold, also joined in on the effort.
After the planting Provost Britta Carstensen said a prayer and blessed the tree.
Then, Mayor Grund invited the participants to follow the Grand Duke Georg Trail along the restored Franzosensteig path to Lake Zierker. The Mayor reminded the guests that the path was originally built by French prisoners of war during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71 and thus connects to the ‘Tree of Peace’ theme.
The event concluded with a reception in the Mecklenburg-Strelitz Cultural Quarter where the ‘Tree of Peace’ organisation presented Mayor Grund with the honorary title of ‘Friend of Peace’, while the Duke and Duchess of Mecklenburg received the Memorial Medal in a Special class with rubies, from the ‘Tree of Peace’ organisation for their commitment to the project. The Grand Ducal House had previously been awarded the ‘Friend of Peace’ title in 2021.
Members of the grand ducal family in attendance were the Duke and Duchess of Mecklenburg. Duke Alexander, Duchess Hande, Duke Leopold and Duke Michael. The former Slovakian ambassador to the Court of St. James’s in London and Russia, Lubomir Rehák, and his wife were also in attendance.
