Last May hundred decorated birch trees were placed at one of Cologne’s most crowded places, waiting to be picked up and moved around by pedestrians. Klau den Baum!

Why do I need a decorated birch? In this part of Germany, there’s a tradition of boys placing such a tree in front of the house of a girl they admire. The event at Neptunplatz in Cologne is organized every year to revise that tradition. Responsible for the special character and its appearance of that area is the citizen initiative Address Neptunplatz EV, which was founded by Robert Wetzels in 2004. Every year in the hours before the first of May, it is possible to get yourself a tree.

The main objective of the initiative is to create an open space for social interaction. Temporary events, outdoor furniture, red lamshades, extraordinary lighting and new planting areas were installed in order to invite citizens to participate. Additional to ‘Steal the Tree’, a small street festival was organized with live music, food and drinks, as well as many other activities for the younger visitors. If you want to spend the last hours up the first of May differently, or if you want to get your favorite person a unique gift, then don’t miss the next event…