A dispute has recently flared up in Pomerania over a unique, more than 100-year-old avenue of pear trees in Główczyce. The local authorities planned to cut down the trees to modernise the road, which met with firm opposition from nature and history enthusiasts. Eventually, the work was halted by the intervention of the conservation officer, opening up a discussion about the value and fate of this unique place.
A rarity on a European scale
The avenue in Główczyce is no ordinary row of trees. It consists of around 112 pear trees, estimated to be 100 to 150 years old. What is more, these are noble, grafted pear trees of the Virgouleuse variety, dating back as far as the 17th century. Experts emphasise their uniqueness on a European scale, treating them as a living monument of the landscape and a valuable gene bank, resistant to diseases affecting modern varieties. The avenue connects Główczyce with the historic church and palace, the manor house in Ciemina and the village of Zgierz, leading on to the tourist town of Izbica. For a long time it has acted as a symbolic and practical link between these villages and historical sites. Today, it is also an important element of two European EuroVelo cycle routes.
As arborist Piotr Kwiatkowski noted in an interview with Polsat News, “this is a unique avenue on a European scale. We are talking about a hundred 150-year-old trees, specifically grafted noble pears, in other words, it is part of an architectural foundation”.
The pear tree avenue in Główczyce – safety versus heritage
The mayor of Główczyce municipality, Rafał Teterka, argues the need for felling for safety reasons. In his opinion, old trees can pose a threat to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, especially tourists heading to the Slovinski National Park. He also stresses that residents have been waiting for years for the road to be repaired. The Eco-Initiative Association, which has applied for the avenue to be declared a natural monument, disagrees with this argument. Its members believe that the road can be repaired without destroying the trees, which, in their opinion, do not threaten safety due to their small size.
Photo: Grzegorz Jędro
Conservator says no
When it seemed that the fate of the avenue was a foregone conclusion, the Pomeranian Provincial Conservator of Monuments stepped in. Dariusz Chmielewski started the procedure to enter the pear trees in the register of historical monuments as an integral part of the historic establishment. This means that no tree can be cut down until this procedure is completed. The conservator’s decision gave hope to naturalists and activists, but earlier the councillors of the Główczyce municipality had almost unanimously rejected the Eco-Initiative’s application to establish the avenue as a nature monument. The association feared that the monument status would prevent the planned road renovation.
The pear tree alley in Główczyce and its future
Despite the blocking of the felling, the future of the avenue remains uncertain. The municipality has identified 80 trees that interfere with the planned road construction. In an official statement, the municipality itself stresses that the lack of a resolution on the natural monument does not mean automatic felling, and that the road renovation is necessary. The reconstruction project involves widening the carriageway and building a pedestrian and cycle path to improve safety.
The solution?
The dispute over the pear tree avenue in Główczyce is an example of the age-old dilemma: how to reconcile the needs of infrastructure development with the protection of valuable natural and cultural heritage. An excellent example of the fact that modernising infrastructure does not have to involve cutting down trees is provincial road No. 414 in the Opole Voivodeship between Lubrza and Prudnik and between Biała and Dobroszewice, also known as the Lime Tree Avenue. Instead of removing the lime trees growing along the route, it was decided to build a new carriageway next to the existing road. Meanwhile, the existing road surface has been renovated and transformed into a safe and scenic cycle route. As you can see, it is possible – you just have to want it! The history of Linden Avenue is told HERE.
Source: polsatnews.pl, zawszepomorze.pl
Read also: Ecology | Greenery | Public transport | Architecture in Poland | Interesting facts
