The period before World War I was not kind to this nearly 700-year-old elder. The management of the estate, on whose land the oak had taken root, made persistent efforts to destroy it. They chose a truly unusual method: removing cartloads of soil from around its roots, which was done despite a prohibition from the authorities at the time.

The oak withstood these attempts to destroy it and, for several centuries, has continued to stand as a companion to the local community, which is rightfully proud of it.