Radical pruning for the weeping willow at the administration building

During tree maintenance work, one of the gardeners noticed that the 70-year-old willow tree, which is around 15 metres tall, had a crack in the lower trunk that was around 150 cm long and more than 60 cm deep. "This means that the stability of the tree is no longer guaranteed and there is a high risk of entire branches breaking off or the tree even toppling over in the next storm," explains Bernd Sauerbrey, head of Department 4: Facility Management at the University of Erfurt. "For safety reasons, we cordoned off the immediate vicinity, immediately contacted a specialist tree care company and obtained their expertise. Together with the City of Erfurt, we also considered which support measures or similar could initially preserve the tree." Today, massive so-called relief cuts were made to the crown and the tree was cut back to the trunk. "We'll have to wait and see if that's enough to save it," explain the experts. If the willow, with its 2.70 metre circumference, does not recover in the next few years, it may have to be felled completely. These measures will also change the line of sight to Hieranaplatz. "That's a great pity," regret the gardeners, who have been ensuring that the green campus is also a place for relaxation and recreation for many years. "But unfortunately it can't be changed."