Clash Over Forest Preservation: Tempelhofer Dam Tree Standoff Unfolds
In the heart of Berlin, a long-standing dispute has arisen over the fate of the trees lining Tempelhofer Damm. Councillor Saskia Ellenbeck (Greens) has voiced her concerns about the Senate's current traffic routing plan, deeming it outdated and potentially harmful to tree protection.
According to Ellenbeck, the summer 2024 concept aimed to route cars via General-Pape and Wilhelm-Kabus Streets to preserve trees, but the current plan deviates from this. The divergence has sparked a heated debate, with Ellenbeck arguing that the felling of trees on Tempelhofer Damm is not unavoidable, as the trees are 90% healthy and have a life expectancy of 20 to 50 years under construction conditions.
The Tempelhofer Damm project, slated to last about eight years, is a major construction site. The Senate and the consortium led by the waterworks are defending the new traffic concept, citing benefits such as saving the city noise and other emissions, benefiting businesses in the area, and easing construction site logistics.
The Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB) are responsible for the largest share of the project, with 60 million euros and five years of construction time. They have warned that the wastewater pressure pipes from the 19th century are at risk of fracture and corrosion, and that a decision is needed urgently to prevent potential traffic disruptions. A total of 12 kilometres of pipelines, some of which date back to the 19th century, are affected. The tasks of the BWB include the renewal and expansion of three wastewater pressure lines, as well as new sewer and water supply lines.
Other problems that need to be addressed include old power cables that are prone to failure and have caused damage to the U-Bahn tunnel, according to the BVG. The BVG is currently renovating the tunnel of the U6 subway line on a 1.9-kilometre stretch.
Despite the ongoing controversy, replanting would only achieve the same climatic effect in 30 to 40 years, according to Ellenbeck. If the district office rejects the controversial application of the consortium, the Senate cannot appeal, according to City Councilor Ellenbeck.
The Tempelhof area, which includes Tempelhofer Damm, has seen numerous new construction projects since 2020. However, no targeted reports on this issue were found specifically related to Tempelhofer Damm. The dispute over the greenery on Tempelhofer Damm is escalating, with no detailed publicly available information about construction status or tree felling controversies specifically on Tempelhofer Damm as of August 2025.
As the conflict reaches a climax, it remains to be seen how the Senate and the consortium will respond to the concerns raised by Councillor Ellenbeck and other environmental advocates. The future of Tempelhofer Damm's trees hangs in the balance.
- The ongoing dispute over the fate of the trees on Tempelhofer Damm in Berlin has sparked a debate that extends beyond local politics, involving concerns about environmental-science and general-news.
- In the midst of a major construction project on Tempelhofer Damm expected to last eight years, the need for scientific analysis ontree preservation and construction strategies is becoming increasingly apparent, merging the domains of economic and social policy and environmental-science.
- The ongoing controversy over tree felling on Tempelhofer Damm has also raised questions about the impact of construction projects on sports facilities in the area, as the project's timeline coincides with preparations for the Summer Olympic Games planned for Berlin in 2024.
