Vandalism in Gramastetten: 22 fruit trees brutally destroyed!

Vandalism in Gramastetten: 22 fruit trees brutally destroyed!

In Gramastetten, Upper Austria, devastating vandalism of fruit trees caused great outrage. On Corpus Christi Day, farmer Josef Stirmayr discovered at 6 a.m. that 22 of his fruit trees had been severely damaged by the targeted cutting of the bark. This action follows a series of attacks that took place in May, when 24 young trees were beheaded by unknown assailants. In this context, Stirmayr speaks of the deliberate killing of his trees, which were up to 20 years old and included varieties such as cherry, plum-quince, apple, pear, and seven walnut trees.

The repeated acts of vandalism have destroyed around half of Stirmayr's trees. In order to prevent such incidents in the future, the farmer plans to install cameras and appeals to the population to help clarify the crimes. Despite his efforts, the police still have no clues about the perpetrators. The brutal attacks on the fruit trees also raise questions about responsibility and liability, which are important in the agricultural context.

The background to the acts of vandalism

Already on the night of May 2nd to 3rd, 2025, numerous fruit trees in the Mühlviertel region were severely damaged by similar actions. Whether by sawing, chopping or cutting through with branch cutters, the perpetrators left behind a devastated garden. The owner was only able to see the damage on Sunday morning, when the leaves on the trees had already wilted and the cut areas had turned brown. This incident was also reported to the police, but no perpetrators have been identified so far, as Agrar Today reports.

The repeated acts of vandalism in the region not only show the radical actions of strangers, but also the emotional attachment of farmers to their trees. Stirmayr emphasizes that working with nature is a matter of the heart and the destruction of his trees not only means a financial loss, but also brings emotional pain.

Legal aspects of damage caused by forest and fruit trees

In a broader legal context, the consequences of damaged trees and their liability are also important. A ruling by the Supreme Court (OGH) found that forest owners are not always liable for damage caused by trees falling to adjacent properties due to storms. Liability only exists in special cases, and as a rule forest owners benefit from a liability privilege under forestry law, which does not impose any special traffic safety obligations, provided there is no man-made dangerous situation, as can be seen from LKO.

The recent incidents in Gramastetten and the previous acts of vandalism not only raise questions about the immediate protection of property, but also about a necessary legal discussion about the sense of responsibility when dealing with nature and agriculture. Affected farmers face the challenge of protecting their assets while dealing with the emotional loss that such acts bring.