German Dendrological Society

The Deutsche Dendrologische Gesellschaft e.V. (DDG), or German Dendrological Society, is a registered association founded in 1892 for people dedicated to the preservation, care, planting and propagation of trees and shrubs. With roughly 1,300 members, it is one of the oldest dendrological societies in Europe and serves as a central forum for both scientific and practical dendrology in Germany. The society pursues a broad program of annual conferences, continuing education, domestic and international excursions, study trips and public outreach. It publishes a quarterly member magazine, the Ginkgoblätter, and an annual scientific yearbook, the Mitteilungen der Deutschen Dendrologischen Gesellschaft. It also awards the Camillo-Schneider-Preis, an annual young-talent prize for outstanding scientific work in dendrology. A flagship initiative is Champion Trees / Rekordbäume, launched in 2008 jointly with the Gesellschaft Deutsches Arboretum (GDA). The project systematically measures and documents exceptional trees across Germany, maintains a database of record trees, and since 2019 has designated Nationalerbe-Bäume (national heritage trees) to raise awareness of ancient trees. The DDG also organized Germany's national nominations for the European Tree of the Year competition in 2016 and 2017. The society is led by a president; Eike Jörn Jablonski is the current president, succeeding Peter Adam Schmidt (2008–2017). Its monograph collection is accessible to members at the forestry and forest ecology library of the Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek. The DDG's model inspired the founding of the Dendrologische Gesellschaft in Vienna in 1908.

The Deutsche Dendrologische Gesellschaft e.V. (DDG) was founded in 1892 as an association for people who care about the preservation, care, planting and propagation of trees and shrubs. It is one of the oldest dendrological societies in Europe and today has about 1,300 members. From 1902 to 1934, Fritz Graf von Schwerin served as president and edited the society's annual publication, the Mitteilungen. Franz Hermann Meyer was president from 1970 to 1976. Peter Adam Schmidt led the society from 2008 to 2017, and Eike Jörn Jablonski is the current president. A major modern initiative is Champion Trees / Rekordbäume, launched in 2008 jointly by the DDG and the Gesellschaft Deutsches Arboretum (GDA). Systematic work began in summer 2009, aiming to record and document all native and non-native tree species and varieties across Germany in a standardized form. The project was driven by then-president Prof. Dr. Peter A. Schmidt and Andreas Gomolka, who programmed the database and maintained the website. The first web presence appeared in 2010 under the working title "Champion Trees - Bedeutende und bemerkenswerte Bäume, Baumgruppen und Sträucher in Deutschland," with 900 individual tree profiles and the first Champion Tree of the Year (a Ginkgo biloba). An online reporting form was introduced in 2016. By December 2024, the record tree list contained about 11,500 woody plants. In 2016 and 2017, the DDG organized Germany's national competition to nominate a notable tree for the European Tree of the Year contest. The 2016 nominee was the Riesenlinde zu Heede; the 2017 nominee was the Kletterbuche von Hoppenrade. Since 2019, the DDG has designated Nationalerbe-Bäume (national heritage trees); the first was the 600–800 year old Riesenlinde zu Heede. The society publishes the quarterly Ginkgoblätter and the annual Mitteilungen, and awards the Camillo-Schneider-Preis for outstanding scientific work in dendrology. Its monograph collection is available to members at the forestry and forest ecology library of the Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek. The founding of the Dendrologische Gesellschaft in Vienna in 1908 followed the DDG's model.

• 2024

  Record tree list contains about 11,500 woody plants.

• 2019

  First Nationalerbe-Baum designated (Riesenlinde zu Heede).

• 2017

  Kletterbuche von Hoppenrade nominated for European Tree of the Year.

• 2016

  Online reporting form introduced; DDG organizes national nomination for European Tree of the Year (Riesenlinde zu Heede).

• 2010

  First web presence of Champion Trees with 900 tree profiles; first Champion Tree of the Year (Ginkgo biloba).

• 2009

  Systematic recording of record trees begins.

• 2008

  Champion Trees / Rekordbäume initiative launched with GDA.

• 2008

  Peter Adam Schmidt becomes president (until 2017).

• 1970

  Franz Hermann Meyer becomes president (until 1976).

• 1908

  Dendrologische Gesellschaft in Vienna founded on the DDG model.

• 1902

  Fritz Graf von Schwerin becomes president (until 1934).

• 1892

  Founding of the Deutsche Dendrologische Gesellschaft.

Non-profit scientific and conservation society for dendrology and tree heritage in Germany.

• Ginkgoblätter

  Quarterly member magazine with event and training information, species descriptions and travel reports.

• Mitteilungen der Deutschen Dendrologischen Gesellschaft

  Annual yearbook with contributions from all areas of scientific and practical dendrology.

• Champion Trees / Rekordbäume database

  Online database of exceptional trees in Germany, with about 11,500 entries as of December 2024.

• Camillo-Schneider-Preis

  Annual young talent prize for outstanding scientific work in dendrology.

• Champion Trees / Rekordbäume
• Nationalerbe-Bäume
• European Tree of the Year nominations

1. 1Home - Deutsche Dendrologische Gesellschaftddg-web.de
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3. 3Wir über uns - Deutsche Dendrologische Gesellschaftddg-web.de
4. 4Deutsche Dendrologische Gesellschaft - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
5. 5Deutsche Dendrologische Gesellschaft - Wikidatawikidata.org