This solitary plane tree stands at a crossroads, stately as a signpost.
The fact that this plane tree is called an oak may be due to the fact that it stands at the crossroads of Eikendermolenweg, Koekoeksweg, and Terworm. According to the Tree Foundation, this giant was planted between 1750 and 1800.
Because you can't simply remove a tree like you can a post, for example, trees were used to demarcate an area (boundary trees). They were also planted as a lasting reminder of, for example, a wedding or a birth (memorial tree).
We don't know whether the Terworm plane tree is a boundary tree or a memorial tree, as no documents have yet been found that clearly indicate this. The Limburg State Archives still holds a great deal of material about Terworm that needs to be researched. There are, however, several theories regarding the tree.
For example, it could have been a boundary tree between the Laurentius parish in Voerendaal and the Pancratius parish in Heerlen.
It is also possible that the plane tree was planted to commemorate the Belderbusch family's acquisition of a contiguous estate around 1750, which they acquired piecemeal over the years. Namely: Terworm, Gitsbach, Eyckholt, and De Driesch.
Or perhaps the plane tree was planted as a birth tree after the birth of Karl Leopold van der Heyden, the heir of Belderbusch, who was born in 1749. The tree was only planted when the child was one year old and the risk of death was low.
We can say with certainty that it has been a tree of comfort for over 100 years. A tree older than the oldest person offers comfort and support, peace, and renewed hope. But above all, this "oak" of Terworm is a beautiful piece of nature.
Translated by Google •
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