The Mühlenbuche
We have walked around this tree countless times. It stands in the woods near our weir, and since it seemed to have no name, we called it the “Mühlenbuche”, the mill beech.
Measuring the giant
The tree stands on a slope and forks early, so we measured the girth at its narrowest point below the fork: 7.08 metres. A short drone flight in drizzle gave a rough height of 32 metres from the top of the slope, or about 35 metres from its foot.
From almost 100 photos Bernard built a 3D model of the trunk with Projook:
A tree of national importance
The German Tree Archive (Deutsches Baumarchiv) lists beeches as nationally important from a girth of 6.5 metres at one metre height, or 6 metres at the narrowest point; trunk form, character and beauty count too (its method, in German). Beeches over 7 metres are rare.
We reported the Mühlenbuche via Baum-Entdecker. Its founder Stefan Kühn went through the whole list of Germany’s thickest beeches with Bernard and then re-ranked it by four criteria (as of late 2021):
| Ranking | Criterion | Place of the Mühlenbuche |
|---|---|---|
| A | trunk form, girth and character weighted together | 11 |
| B | as A, excluding trees with visibly damaged crowns or foliage | 15 |
| C | trunk mass only, living trees only | 20 |
| D | trunk mass only, all trees still alive in 1980 | 30 |
The full list
All 57 beeches in Stefan Kühn’s list, ordered by ranking D. Columns A, B and C give the place in the other rankings; a dash means not included. On a phone, swipe the table sideways.
| D | Place | Girth (m) | Trunk | State | District | Measured | Recorded by | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pondorf | 9.80 | single | BAY | Eichstätt | 2005 | Bauer, Wilfried | – | – | – |
| 2 | Sababurg | 9.58 | 3-core (H) | HES | Kassel | 2020 | LIPPERT | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Hoppenrade | 8.76 | multi-core | BRAND | Prignitz | 2016 | Söhnge* | – | – | – |
| 4 | Dobbin | 8.62 | 2-core (H) | MVP | Rostock | 2020 | FRÖHLICH | – | – | 2 |
| 5 | Altmugl | 8.62 | multi-core | BAY | Tirschenreuth | 2000 | FRÖHLICH | – | – | – |
| 6 | Schwand | 8.54 | single | BAY | Schwandorf | 2020 | KÜHN | – | – | 3 |
| 7 | Scharenstetten | 8.34 | multi-core (H) | BW | Alb-Donau | 2020 | KÜHN | 14 | 2 | 4 |
| 8 | Rother Kuppe | 8.10 | multi-part | BAY | Rhön-Grabfeld | 2001 | KÜHN | – | – | – |
| 9 | Schwafheim | 8.03 | single | NRW | Wesel | 2001 | FRÖHLICH | – | – | – |
| 10 | Wieden | 7.88 | 2-core | BW | Lörrach | 2020 | ULLRICH | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| 11 | Lauenstein | 7.86 | single | NIED | Hameln-Pyrmont | 2020 | KÜHN | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 12 | Ungendwieden | 7.84 | 2-core (F)(H) | BW | Lörrach | 2020 | ULLRICH | – | – | 7 |
| 13 | Oberrod | 7.84 | 2-core | RLP | Westerwaldkreis | 2020 | Paubandt, Gabi | 5 | 5 | 8 |
| 14 | Onstmettingen | 7.76 | multi-core (H) | BW | Zollernalbkreis | 2020 | KÜHN | 7 | 6 | 9 |
| 15 | Dabel | 7.75 | multi-core (H) | MVP | Ludwigslust-Parchim | 2020 | Engel | – | 7 | 10 |
| 16 | Vinnum | 7.74 | single | NRW | Coesfeld | 2020 | KÜHN | – | – | 11 |
| 17 | Frankenhofen | 7.64 | multi-core (H) | BW | Alb-Donau | 2020 | KÜHN | – | 8 | 12 |
| 18 | Lutzhorn | 7.54 | 3-core (H) | SH | Pinneberg | 2020 | KÜHN | – | 9 | 13 |
| 19 | Hofham | 7.54 | single (a) | BAY | Rosenheim | 2020 | FRÖHLICH | 1 | 10 | 14 |
| 20 | Hirschfeld | 7.50 | single | SACH | Zwickau | 1998 | Lemke | – | – | – |
| 21 | Angelburg | 7.47 | multi-core (H) | HES | Marburg-Biedenkopf | 2020 | KÜHN | – | – | 15 |
| 22 | Utzenfeld | 7.26 | single | BW | Lörrach | 2015 | ULLRICH | – | – | – |
| 23 | Altheim | 7.40 | single | RLP | Zweibrücken | 1973 | Bernatzky | – | – | – |
| 24 | Frauenroth | 7.24 | multi-core (H) | BAY | Bad Kissingen | 2020 | FRÖHLICH | – | 11 | 16 |
| 25 | Oberbach | 7.23 | single | BAY | Bad Kissingen | 2020 | KÜHN | 9 | 12 | 17 |
| 26 | Gut Wittmoldt | 7.19 | 2-core | SH | Plön | 2020 | KÜHN | 15 | 13 | 18 |
| 27 | Harthausen | 7.18 | single | BW | Zollernalbkreis | 2020 | FRÖHLICH | 12 | 14 | 19 |
| 28 | Suppingen | 7.16 | single | BW | Alb-Donau | 2002 | ULLRICH | – | – | – |
| 29 | Wieden | 7.13 | single | BAY | Rosenheim | 2012 | TomE | – | – | – |
| 30 | Apelern (Mühlenbuche) | 7.08 | multi-core (H) | NIED | Schaumburg | 2020 | Lüers, Bernard | 11 | 15 | 20 |
| 31 | Schönenberg | 7.08 | single (o) | BW | Lörrach | 2020 | ULLRICH | 16 | – | – |
| 32 | Mitgenfeld | 7.08 | 2-part | BAY | Bad Kissingen | 2002 | KÜHN | – | – | – |
| 33 | Aufhausen | 7.05 | 2-core | BW | Göppingen | 2020 | charly | – | – | – |
| 34 | Heldburg | 7.03 | single | THÜR | Hildburghausen | 2020 | LIPPERT | – | – | – |
| 35 | Groß Schönebeck | 7.02 | single | BRAND | Barnim | 2020 | FRÖHLICH | 2 | – | – |
| 36 | Fürstenau | 7.02 | 2-core | SACH | Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge | 2020 | FRÖHLICH | 8 | – | – |
| 37 | Sage | 7.00 | single | NIED | Oldenburg | 2020 | KÜHN | 17 | – | – |
| 38 | Krombach | 6.98 | single | NRW | Siegen-Wittgenstein | 2020 | FRÖHLICH | 3 | – | – |
| 39 | Tinnen | 6.90 | single | NIED | Emsland | 2000 | FRÖHLICH | – | – | – |
| 40 | Oldenburg | 6.90 | single | NIED | Oldenburg (city) | 1993 | FRÖHLICH | – | – | – |
| 41 | Oberbach II | 6.88 | multi-core (H) | BAY | Bad Kissingen | 2020 | LIPPERT | – | – | – |
| 42 | Graben II | 6.88 | 2-core (H) | BW | Lörrach | 2020 | KÜHN | 19 | – | – |
| 43 | Graben | 6.88 | single | BW | Lörrach | 2020 | KÜHN | 18 | – | – |
| 44 | Ungendwieden II | 6.87 | 2-core (H) | BW | Lörrach | 2020 | ULLRICH | – | – | – |
| 45 | Landstetten | 6.85 | 3-core (H) | BAY | Starnberg | 2020 | KÜHN | – | – | – |
| 46 | Straßberg | 6.84 | single | BW | Zollernalbkreis | 2020 | RBE Fröhlich | – | – | – |
| 47 | Cossebaude | 6.81 | 2-core | SACH | Dresden (city) | 2020 | KÜHN | – | – | – |
| 48 | Eichelhain II | 6.79 | 2-core | HES | Vogelsbergkreis | 2020 | Ossenbühl, Jörg | – | – | – |
| 49 | Brockhöfe | 6.75 | multi-core (H) | NIED | Uelzen | 2020 | FRÖHLICH | – | – | – |
| 50 | Glücksburg | 6.71 | multi-core | SH | Schleswig-Flensburg | 2020 | KÜHN | – | – | – |
| 51 | Gernsbach | 6.62 | single* | BW | Rastatt | 2020 | KÜHN | – | – | – |
| 52 | Kassel | 6.62 | single | HES | Kassel | 2006 | FRÖHLICH | – | – | – |
| 53 | Urspringen | 6.60 | single | BAY | Rhön-Grabfeld | 2020 | LIPPERT | – | – | – |
| 54 | Hohenbüssow | 6.58 | multi-core (H) | MVP | Demmin | 2020 | RBE Fröhlich | – | – | – |
| 55 | Buchholz | 6.52 | single | MVP | Ludwigslust-Parchim | 2020 | FRÖHLICH | – | – | – |
| 56 | Altenhasungen | 6.52 | 3-core | HES | Kassel | 2020 | ameise | – | – | – |
| 57 | Schönderling | 6.50 | single | BAY | Rhön-Grabfeld | 2020 | LIPPERT | 10 | – | – |
Girth in metres, year of measurement. Trunk: single, 2-core, multi-core etc. describes how many fused cores the trunk consists of; (H) = pollard-type pasture beech (Hutebuche). State and district as in the original German list. Source: Stefan Kühn (Baum-Entdecker), based on the German Tree Archive’s list of nationally important trees, late 2021.
Ranking A: trunk form, girth and character (19 beeches)
| A | Place | Girth (m) | Trunk | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hofham | 7.54 | single (a) | BAY |
| 2 | Groß Schönebeck | 7.02 | single | BRAND |
| 3 | Krombach | 6.98 | single | NRW |
| 4 | Lauenstein | 7.86 | single | NIED |
| 5 | Oberrod | 7.84 | 2-core | RLP |
| 6 | Wieden | 7.88 | 2-core | BW |
| 7 | Onstmettingen | 7.76 | multi-core (H) | BW |
| 8 | Fürstenau | 7.02 | 2-core | SACH |
| 9 | Oberbach | 7.23 | single | BAY |
| 10 | Schönderling | 6.50 | single | BAY |
| 11 | Apelern (Mühlenbuche) | 7.08 | multi-core (H) | NIED |
| 12 | Harthausen | 7.18 | single | BW |
| 13 | Sababurg | 9.58 | 3-core (H) | HES |
| 14 | Scharenstetten | 8.34 | multi-core (H) | BW |
| 15 | Gut Wittmoldt | 7.19 | 2-core | SH |
| 16 | Schönenberg | 7.08 | single (o) | BW |
| 17 | Sage | 7.00 | single | NIED |
| 18 | Graben | 6.88 | single | BW |
| 19 | Graben II | 6.88 | 2-core (H) | BW |
Ranking B: undamaged beeches (15 beeches)
| B | Place | Girth (m) | Trunk | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sababurg | 9.58 | 3-core (H) | HES |
| 2 | Scharenstetten | 8.34 | multi-core (H) | BW |
| 3 | Wieden | 7.88 | 2-core | BW |
| 4 | Lauenstein | 7.86 | single | NIED |
| 5 | Oberrod | 7.84 | 2-core | RLP |
| 6 | Onstmettingen | 7.76 | multi-core (H) | BW |
| 7 | Dabel | 7.75 | multi-core (H) | MVP |
| 8 | Frankenhofen | 7.64 | multi-core (H) | BW |
| 9 | Lutzhorn | 7.54 | 3-core (H) | SH |
| 10 | Hofham | 7.54 | single (a) | BAY |
| 11 | Frauenroth | 7.24 | multi-core (H) | BAY |
| 12 | Oberbach | 7.23 | single | BAY |
| 13 | Gut Wittmoldt | 7.19 | 2-core | SH |
| 14 | Harthausen | 7.18 | single | BW |
| 15 | Apelern (Mühlenbuche) | 7.08 | multi-core (H) | NIED |
Ranking C: trunk mass, living trees only (20 beeches)
| C | Place | Girth (m) | Trunk | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sababurg | 9.58 | 3-core (H) | HES |
| 2 | Dobbin | 8.62 | 2-core (H) | MVP |
| 3 | Schwand | 8.54 | single | BAY |
| 4 | Scharenstetten | 8.34 | multi-core (H) | BW |
| 5 | Wieden | 7.88 | 2-core | BW |
| 6 | Lauenstein | 7.86 | single | NIED |
| 7 | Ungendwieden | 7.84 | 2-core (F)(H) | BW |
| 8 | Oberrod | 7.84 | 2-core | RLP |
| 9 | Onstmettingen | 7.76 | multi-core (H) | BW |
| 10 | Dabel | 7.75 | multi-core (H) | MVP |
| 11 | Vinnum | 7.74 | single | NRW |
| 12 | Frankenhofen | 7.64 | multi-core (H) | BW |
| 13 | Lutzhorn | 7.54 | 3-core (H) | SH |
| 14 | Hofham | 7.54 | single (a) | BAY |
| 15 | Angelburg | 7.47 | multi-core (H) | HES |
| 16 | Frauenroth | 7.24 | multi-core (H) | BAY |
| 17 | Oberbach | 7.23 | single | BAY |
| 18 | Gut Wittmoldt | 7.19 | 2-core | SH |
| 19 | Harthausen | 7.18 | single | BW |
| 20 | Apelern (Mühlenbuche) | 7.08 | multi-core (H) | NIED |
In January 2022 Stefan Kühn wrote an article about the Mühlenbuche (in German). He counts it among the pasture beeches: more than 20 ridges rise from its massive base, yet the trunk looks closed, and its 35-metre crown is almost undamaged. His verdict: one of the most beautiful pasture beeches of our time.