Quercus phellos - Willow Oak
Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan - tradition and modernity for a climate-friendly future
With almost 1000 years of history, the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan is the oldest still existing brewery in the world. The birth of the well-known Benedictine Monastery Brewery dates back to 1040, when Abbot Arnold acquired the brewing and dispensing rights from the town of Freising. Since then, it has survived fires, plague epidemics and looting, has brewed according to the purity law issued by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria since 1516 and has held the official title of Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan since 1921.
As a direct neighbour of the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, it is not only understandable that the brewery and the university work together but also that there will be a sponsor tree of the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan in the newly designed arboretum: a willow oak (Quercus phellos). This deciduous tree, also called willow-leaved oak, is originally native to North America. But since the oak particularly has a symbolic character in Germany, this sponsor tree on the campus of the HSWT will - on the one hand - emphasise the brewery's ties to its homeland and - on the other hand - also its internationality, hopes Prof. Dr. Josef Schrädler, Director of the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan.
Today, the traditional company is - not only considered the oldest brewery in the world but also the most modern. The combination of 1,000 years of experience and modern science is the basis of an unmistakable identity that focuses on the highest quality - after all, the company wants to be one of the best breweries, says the company film. This also includes actively participating in environmental protection and thus contributing to the common good: "We want to take responsibility and improve our environmental performance," says Prof. Dr. Schrädler. That is why the university is currently working on an environmental statement to be certified according to EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme). "The University of Applied Sciences' anniversary event is taking place at the - so to say - foot of the brewery. We couldn't ask for a better place for our sponsor tree. It is one of many steps we want to take concerning environmental protection because it is very close to our hearts," says the director. We also want to draw public attention to nature, forests and trees. After all, nature provides the brewery with its most important raw materials: Hops, barley and the purest spring water. These three essential ingredients of a good Bavarian beer will probably not change in the coming decades. However, corporate solutions that will allow production to be as climate-friendly as possible will be founded in cooperation with science. Along the way, the 170 or so staff at the Weihenstephan site will surely enjoy spending their lunch break in the shade of the willow oak tree and enjoying the tranquillity of nature, which they find right next door in the arboretum.
Distribution: central and south-eastern USA
Size: 15 to 20 metres high
Leaves: smooth-edged, green, 5 to 15 cm long
Flower: golden yellow catkins
Fruits: almost round acorns
