What's behind it

Five diseased trees felled on Joanneumring in Graz

The remains of a felled tree on Joanneumring.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Because five ailing trees on Joanneumring became a danger to pedestrians, they were felled from Tuesday to Wednesday - an operation that caused a stir in the center of the provincial capital. Deputy Mayor Judith Schwentner (Greens) wants to replace the trees with new ones.

The Joanneumring in Graz presented a sad picture on Wednesday morning: five trees - a string tree and four chestnut trees - were razed to the ground. The reason: The plants had grown old and diseased over the years, many of them already hollow inside. "When broken trees become a danger, we have to act," says Deputy Mayor Judith Schwentner (Greens), responsible for urban planning.

The road on Joanneumring is currently being dug up - and is not passable for cyclists.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

This is because the stability of the trees, which formed a magnificent avenue in the center of Graz, could no longer be guaranteed. "It's always sad when old trees get sick and die," says Schwentner, who promised to plant a tree in Graz every day when she took office.

In February of this year, trees were transplanted from the Opernring in Graz to the Andersengasse kindergarten.(Bild: Stadt Graz)

All plants will be replaced
With this in mind, all five trees will therefore be replaced by new plantings. The new trees are resistant to climate change due to their species and will provide shade and cooling in the future, it is said. Schwentner recently had five chestnut trees transplanted on Opernring.

Meanwhile, construction work on the Joanneumring continues - to the annoyance of traffic jam-plagued car commuters. According to the deputy mayor's office, however, work is on schedule. From autumn, there should be cycle paths in both directions with a total width of four meters. The construction work for the regional bus stop on Opernring was recently completed.