Kongebjørka, Historical tree and monument in Glomstua, Molde, Norway
Kongebjørka is a birch tree in the Glomstua area of Molde, Norway, listed as a monument tree for its historical role. It stands in an open park setting near a memorial grove called Fredslunden, the Peace Grove.
In April 1940, the Norwegian royal family was photographed sheltering under a birch at this spot while German planes bombed Molde. That photograph spread widely and became one of the most recognized images of Norway during World War II.
The tree became known after the Norwegian poet Nordahl Grieg wrote a play called 'Kongen' inspired by the events that took place here. The play helped turn this birch into a reference point in Norwegian memory of the war years.
The tree stands in a freely accessible park in Glomstua and is easy to reach on foot from Molde town center. Nearby there are other memorial points, so a short walk around the area lets you take in the full setting.
The birch standing here today is not the original tree, but the third one to occupy this spot, as storms brought down the earlier ones. King Harald V planted the current tree himself after a storm in 1992.
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