Femeiche

The Femeiche in Erle in the North Rhine-Westphalian district of Borken is one of the oldest oaks in Germany, with an age of between 600 and 850 years. The English oak stands near the parish church. Feme courts were demonstrably held under the oak until the 16th century. It is considered the oldest and best known court tree in Central Europe. For more than 100 years, the oak tree, which has been damaged by lightning, storms, human influence and its great age, has been registered as a natural monument. The trunk has been hollow for about 250 years and consists only of sapwood. The trunk shell, held together by poles, encloses a hollow space almost three meters in diameter.