At the Darmstadt Schwarzer-Peter-Spiel, the association for international forest art is now also resisting taking on the role of scapegoat intended for it by the critics.

In discussions, by e-mail and in the press, the Biennale, which has been organized since 2002, is unfortunately increasingly being held responsible for the felling of 42 beeches near the three-kilometre-long forest art path, wrote the association's chairman, Peter Schüler, in a statement published on Friday.

Tree protectors have now asked the cultural workers to withdraw from the forest.

Markus Schug

Correspondent Rhein-Main-Süd.

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The responsible state agency Hessen-Forst had initially announced that around 150 trees damaged by heat and drought in the Darmstadt city forest would be felled because they were no longer stable or could pose a danger to pedestrians due to falling branches or even crowns.

After persistent protests against this comparatively massive felling operation, the city, state and Hessen-Forst agreed in November to initially leave it at those 42 trees that are really no longer worth preserving - which was supported by individual nature conservation groups, citizens' initiatives and also factions such as the "Left", is still doubted.

Which is why the city council meeting on Thursday is also going to talk about putting the forest management that has so far been the responsibility of Hessen-Forst completely in other hands,

as municipalities in the neighboring district of Groß-Gerau have already done.

Critics accuse the team, led by the head of the forestry department, Hartmut Müller, of removing healthy trees for purely economic reasons.

Hope for calm in the summer

The forest art trail in the Böllenfalltor district – between the Goetheteich and Ludwigshöhe – arose from the idea of ​​bringing “the creative forces of the forest and the artists together”, says Ute Ritschel, who has been involved in the international project as a curator for two decades.

There has always been a trusting cooperation with the forest administration and currently, because this is also safer for our own visitors, we have withdrawn to only seven "crystallization points" in the forest.

The club hopes “that the situation will calm down again by summer”.

Then the twentieth anniversary of the Forest Art Biennale will be celebrated, which also includes a three-week symposium and year-round guided tours and projects for and with children.

According to Hessen-Forst, the number of visitors to the forest under corona conditions is likely to have risen to almost 200,000, which is roughly twice as much as in previous years.