Tree of Peace (World War I)
The Tree of Peace is an international project that originated in Slovakia. The project, created on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War I, was initiated by landscape architect Marek Sobola from Žilina, Slovakia. The main goal of the project is to promote a message of peace by planting the "Tree of Peace" on every continent within 4 years ; because the war lasted for 4 years, this project is also planned to last for 4 years.
Background
World War I had an impact on Sobola's family. His great-grandfather Ondrej Sobola died on the Russian battlefield. Ondrej was born on August 7, 1880, in the village of Lalinok near Žilina. He was enlisted in the 15th Military Infantry Regiment and went missing in 1915. Ondrej died in an unknown place. He was officially pronounced dead in 1930, with an official date of death: December 31, 1918. The story of the author's family inspired him to memorialize the soldiers who died in WWI in unknown places without their names or identities. This international project “Tree of Peace” officially represents the Slovak Republic under the brand called “GOOD IDEA SLOVAKIA – IDEAS FROM SLOVAKIA”. The Trademark License is granted by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.Future
Project has the ambition to be a universal message of joining the nations. It may be paradoxical that on one side the war separated the nations in the past but on the other side it also joined nations through military alliances. In the future, the project will not be strictly linked to 1918 and the WWI, but rather generally to the need for peace and avoidance of global military conflicts. In this way, the project will become universal and its application will be made available to countries which were touched by the WWI only marginally. But the author does not exclude the allusion to this global military conflict because thanks to it the Project itself began. This Project is European, international and strictly apolitical. The main idea of the project is a Message of Peace.Motto
"Let´s make love the lifeblood of this world" ''.Planting sites
2020
Liechtenstein- Schaan municipality. A Tree was planted at the garden of headquarters of International Commission for the Protection of the Alps. Species of tree: Tilia platyphyllos.
- Vysoká nad Kysucou village near Čadca. A Tree was planted in the area of the Roman Catholic Church of Saint Matthew the Apostle in Vysoká nad Kysucou. Species of tree: Quercus robur ‘Jan Zamoyski’. This tree has also a special name that reflects the 2020 global situation: “COVID-19 Tree of Peace.”
2019
- Brookwood Military Cemetery, a Private part of Czechoslovak Veterans. The President of Slovakia Zuzana Čaputová, together with the Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš and participating diplomats, planted the 13th Tree of Peace with Marek Sobola, the author of the project. Species of tree: Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’.
- Divina village near Žilina. Planting was attended by US Army officers. Species of tree: Quercus robur ‘Hentzei’.
- Leipzig. Tree was planted in The Monument to the Battle of the Nations. Planting a tree in Germany was supported by Dr. Albrecht Tintelnot, the Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic for the Federal States of Saxony and Thuringia and Prince Alexander, Margrave of Meissen also. Species of tree: Tilia euchlora.
- Kragujevac. The tenth memorial tree was planted in Šumarice Memorial Park on Monday, October 21, 2019. A tree was planted personally by Slavica Đukić Dejanović current Minister without portfolio in the Government of Serbia, Dagmar Repčeková, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Serbia and Marek Sobola. Species of tree: Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd'.
- National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City. The planting of ninth “Tree of Peace” was carried out under auspices of the Honorary Consulate of the Slovak Republic to the Midwest USA and the Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in New York. The tree was planted on the North Lawn of the National WWI Museum and Memorial on friday June 21, 2019. Species of tree: Quercus rubra. Official Congressional Record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published in Washington, Thursday, June 20, 2019, Vol. 165, No. 104.
2018
Slovakia- Veľkrop, in Slovakia's largest WWI War Cemetery. 8662 soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian and Russian armies are buried there. This Tree of Peace was planted on Friday, September 28, 2018. Species of tree: Quercus robur, 'Concordia' cultivar.
- Vychylovka part of Nová Bystrica village. A tree was planted in Kysuce Village Museum personally by the president of the Žilina Region, Erika Jurinová on Sunday, October 28, 2018. This planting was with a participation of Žilina region. Species of tree: Quercus robur, 'Concordia' cultivar.
- Žilina, Military cemetery in Bôrik. Species of tree: Quercus robur, 'Jan Zamoyski' cultivar.
- Turzovka, town in Kysuce Region. Species of tree: Quercus robur, 'Atropurpurea' cultivar.
- Lalinok, part of Divinka village, the birthplace of Ondrej Sobola. Species of tree: Quercus robur, 'Jan Zamoyski' cultivar.
- Pushkin, in State Museum Tsarskoye Selo in Saint Petersburg. A tree was planted on Friday, October 26, 2018. In Saint Petersburg, the tree was planted near the World War I Museum, the only museum dedicated to this theme in the Russian Federation. The planting was an international act and the project was carried out under auspices the General Consulate of the Slovak Republic in Saint Petersburg. Species of tree: Quercus robur.
- Trzyciąż, Jangrot location – The WWI Cemetery in Cieplicky Forest. Species of tree: Quercus robur, 'Atropurpurea' cultivar.
- Bad Ischl. The eighth of “The Tree of Peace” that was planted by Archduke Markus Emanuel Salvator of Austria grows in the Imperial Villa which was the summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph I. The Imperial Villa is an important place for the history of the First World War. Emperor Franz Josef signed Austria-Hungary’s ultimatum to Kingdom of Serbia at his desk in the Imperial Villa. Species of tree: Quercus rubra.
Honorary Awards
- Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque
- Memorial Medal of Tree of Peace
- Friend of Peace
Related projects
Postal products
The Slovak Post issued official postmarks on this occasion:- Postmark Nr. PPP 73/18 on the occasion of The 100th Anniversary of the First World War: “100. výročie ukončenia veľkej vojny”
- Postmark Nr. PPP 81/18 on the occasion of The 100th Anniversary of the First World War: “Pamätník obetiam 1. svetovej vojny v Lalinku / Memorial dedicated to WWI victims from Lalinok village”