Erection date: /4/1988
Silver limes from Berlin, presented to the citizens of London as a token of friendship by the citizens and senat of Berlin.
Planted in April 1988
Site: Limes from Berlin (1 memorial)
W8, Broad Walk, Kensington Gardens
This plaque set us wondering: why was this particular path chosen to be lined with these limes from Germany, and why in 1988? Then we remembered Unter den Linden in Berlin – that’s a boulevard lined with lindens, limes in English. And it runs towards Stadtschloss which used to be a royal palace; just as this London boulevard of limes runs toward Kensington Palace. And these two palaces already have a significant connection concerning another a gift from Germany - the William of Orange statue.
So, perhaps a German dignitary was visiting and, needing a way of thanking his/her hosts, came up with this Linden boulevard, almost exactly 80 years after the gift of the statue in 1907. If we are right it does seem odd that the plaque is so uninformative – Just the words “Unter den Linden” would say a lot.
