The Olympic oaks or, informally, Hitler oaks are the English
oak tree
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably '' ...
s grown from the year-old saplings given to the gold medal winners of the
1936 Olympic Games, in Berlin, which was seen as
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's games. They were called "Olympic oaks" at the time. Not many are known, and fewer have survived. Not all of the trees, if any, were presented by Hitler; Lovelock's, for example, was presented by Dr Theodor Lewald, and Boardman's was collected by members of his crew. 130 gold medals were awarded, and a corresponding number of trees.
Germany
While the largest number of oaks were given to German athletes, who won the most medals, many are said to be planted near the stadium, though no record was kept, and they would be difficult to identify among the many oaks in the vicinity.
New Zealand
*
Jack Lovelock
John Edward Lovelock (5 January 1910 – 28 December 1949) was a New Zealand athlete who became the world 1500m and mile record holder and 1936 Olympic champion in the 1500 metres.
Early life
Lovelock was born in the town of Crushingto ...
's tree is at
Timaru Boys' High School
Timaru Boys' High School (also known as TBHS), established in 1880, is a single sex state (public) secondary school located in the port city of Timaru, South Canterbury, New Zealand. TBHS caters for years 9 to 13 (ages 12 to 19 years).
At th ...
.
Sweden
*
Ivar Johansson's tree is in Folkparken,
Norrköping
Norrköping (; ) is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County, about 160 km southwest of the national capital Stockholm, 40 km east of county seat Linköp ...
. The tree was first planted in Johansson's private garden, but in 1960 it was donated to the city of Norrköping.
United Kingdom
* The sapling presented to
Jack Beresford
Jack Beresford, CBE (1 January 1899 – 3 December 1977), born Jack Beresford-Wiszniewski, was a British rower who won five medals at five Olympic Games in succession. This record in Olympic rowing was not matched until 2000 when Sir Steve Red ...
was planted in the grounds of
Bedford School
:''Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Girls' School, Bedford High School, Bedford Modern School, Old Bedford School in Bedford, Texas or Bedford Academy in Bedford, Nova Scotia.''
Bedford School is a public school (English indep ...
. It was removed many years later when building work was undertaken. The wood was used to make presentation shields for the rowing club.
*
Harold Whitlock
Hector Harold Whitlock (16 December 1903 – 27 December 1985) was a British athlete who competed mainly in the 50 kilometre walk. He attended Hendon School, then Hendon County School, in North London, where he planted in 1936 an oak tree saplin ...
's sapling was presented to
Hendon School
Hendon School is a mixed secondary school in Golders Rise, Hendon, with academy status since November 2011 (previously a comprehensive) in the London Borough of Barnet. It specialises in languages, offering lessons amongst others to its student ...
, and was removed due to fungal disease in July 2007.
*
Christopher Boardman's oak was planted in
How Hill
How Hill is a hamlet on the River Ant within The Broads National Park in Ludham parish, Norfolk, England.
How Hill House, completed in 1903, was designed by Thomas Boardman, son of the architect Edward Boardman; he was Mayor of Norwich in 190 ...
, Norfolk but was eventually killed by honey fungus. In early 2017 the remaining tree stump was carved into a sailing boat and olympic rings.
United States
*
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games.
Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifet ...
won four gold medals and so had four trees.
** One tree was planted at
James Rhodes High School in Cleveland, Ohio.
** One may have been planted at Ohio State University.
* As of 2022,
Cornelius Johnson's tree was still standing in the yard of his childhood home in
Koreatown, Los Angeles
Koreatown ( ko, 코리아타운) is a neighborhood in central Los Angeles, California, centered near Eighth Street and Irolo Street.
Koreans began immigrating in larger numbers in the 1960s and found housing in the Mid-Wilshire area. Many open ...
.
*
John Woodruff (
Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Connellsville is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, southeast of Pittsburgh and away via the Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 7,637 at th ...
) was the first African American to win gold in the 1936 Olympics (800 Meters). He brought his oak home to Connellsville and planted it in the northwest corner of the High School Stadium (Campbell Field) in Connellsville where it was still standing as of 2022.
See also
*
Forest swastika
The forest swastika was a patch of larch trees covering area of pine forest near Zernikow, Uckermark district, Brandenburg, in northeastern Germany, arranged with their light colors to look like a swastika.
History
Reports say the larches were ...
s, arboreal relics of Nazi Germany
References
{{Reflist
External links
Film of Jack Lovelock's race and presentation with the Lovelock Oak
Trees in culture
1936 Summer Olympics
Quercus