An inconspicuous little apple tree stands beside St. Michael’s Church in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. Surrounded by asphalt, concrete, and paving stones, it is a small, living piece of nature—a silent, resilient witness to God’s creation amid human structures.
This apple tree was planted on the initiative of Divine Word Missionary Bro. Emanuel Huemer SVD, the JPIC coordinator for the Central European Province. Inconspicuous as it may seem, this is a very special apple tree. A sign explains that this variety, known as the “Korbinian apple tree,” was bred by the Bavarian priest Korbinian Aigner during World War II at the Dachau concentration camp.
Father Korbinian Aigner had openly criticized Führer Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, which led to his internment. Yet, while enduring inhumane treatment, he cultivated apple trees and introduced the world to new varieties. The small tree at St. Michael’s is one of them, originally called “KZ 3.” “KZ” stands for “Concentration Camp.” This tree is a living testament to the fact that resistance is worthwhile. It will soon provide the St. Michael parish with delicious fruit.
The tree’s ability to bear fruit also relies on it not being alone. Other apple trees are nearby, blooming at the same time, which allows for effective pollination. This reflects a deeper truth: wherever there is resistance to injustice and the destruction of life, and wherever this resistance finds allies, God’s new world is being built—a new heaven and a new earth where justice dwells.
This resistance often seems as insignificant as a small apple tree. This can feel especially apparent, and perhaps depressing, during the “Season of Creation” (September 1 to October 4). The system of fossil capitalism appears overwhelming and without an alternative. “We need economic growth!” is the oft-repeated credo.
In this rush, we close our eyes to the suicidal nature of demanding endless economic growth on a finite planet. The reckless pursuit to exploit the last reserves of raw materials—in remote jungles and the depths of the oceans—is destroying the Earth’s final ecological reserves and the habitat of Indigenous peoples. Human lives are being sacrificed on the altar of this growth. Defenders of the rainforests are the martyrs of our time, and environmental activists are criminalized and silenced in many places.
And yet, in the midst of this “economy that kills” (Pope Francis), activists are committed to an alternative new world in which a good life is possible for all. As weak or unsuccessful as this commitment may sometimes seem, it carries the seed of a new world prophetically. Like Father Korbinian Aigner in Dachau, this resistance lays the foundation for delicious fruits that may only be harvested in the distant future.
To express this defiant hope, a Korbinian apple tree has recently been planted next to St. Gabriel’s Holy Spirit Church. This planting marks the Season of Creation and also commemorates a particularly difficult time for the Divine Word Missionaries in Austria as they celebrate 150 years of SVD history.
The tree also remembers the end of World War II 80 years ago. St. Gabriel’s was expropriated and used by the National Socialist regime from 1941 to 1945 as an administrative center for aircraft engine factories—part of Hitler’s weapons production. Eighty years ago, that unjust regime was overthrown, paving the way for reconstruction and a new beginning.
During that time, a quote attributed to the German reformer Martin Luther was often cited: “Even if I knew that the world would end tomorrow, I would still plant an apple tree today!” Bro. Emanuel Huemer adds a powerful challenge for our present times: “In defiant hope, let us plant apple trees, develop alternatives to fossil capitalism, and thus stand up for justice, peace, and the integrity of creation!”
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