Overview
- The 23-meter Nordmann fir from Pirna-Neundorf was installed on Dresden’s Altmarkt on Saturday and many passersby and reporters say it lacks a clear tip and shows large gaps in branches.
- Dresden city officials and market organisers acknowledge the tree lost a few branches during transport, say the affected areas were professionally repaired, and maintain the specimen met preselection criteria.
- An on-site TAG24 check found the tree still appears oval and sparsely branched despite the repairs, keeping public criticism alive ahead of the Striezelmarkt opening on November 25.
- Leipzig’s market office reported a separate, minor incident when one branch bent during felling, and said the damage was immediately wired and is no longer visible.
- The episode highlights a recurring pattern in Saxony where felling and long-distance transport can damage large municipal trees and trigger outsized social-media ridicule even when officials follow inspection and repair procedures.