Helge and Saxana / Resurrection of the Walnut Tree of Lützerath

Helge and Saxana / Resurrection of the Walnut Tree of Lützerath is a short film by Silke Engler and David Klammer documenting an event connected to the struggle for the preservation of Lützerath.

The film focuses on our solidarity art action at the Garzweiler II open-cast mine, created in front of the farmstead of Eckhardt Heukamp, the last remaining resident of Lützerath, who fought courageously until the very end against the uncompromising actions of RWE and for the preservation of the village.

The old walnut tree, together with the houses and farm buildings, was ruthlessly destroyed by RWE in an act of complete devastation that is difficult to put into words. The residents were displaced, while animals and plants were disregarded—overridden by a human-centred sense of entitlement and an arrogant belief in domination over nature.

During Whitsun 2021, we brought this walnut tree back to life on a large canvas, creating a commemorative painting as a warning and a memorial.

According to eyewitness accounts, a barn owl had lived in the walnut tree. When the excavator arrived to destroy the tree, the bird fled in panic.