The Zagreb City Nature Authority announced yesterday that a 600-year-old oak tree, known as "Dedek," had been destroyed by a severe storm. The tree, located near the Mogile memorial on Kišobran Meadow, had long been a symbol of Maksimir Park and was named after King Matthias Corvinus, who fortified the Kaptol against the Ottomans. "Dedek" had survived two lightning strikes during its six-century lifespan.

Despite the loss, efforts to preserve its genetic material have been ongoing since 2014, in collaboration with the City of Zagreb and the Croatian Forestry Institute in Jastrebarsko. Specialists from the Genetics Department have collected about 500 cuttings and a significant amount of acorn yield—over 5,000 grams or 1,600 acorns. These cuttings were grafted onto pre-prepared rootstocks to produce genetically identical clones of "Dedek."

“Aware that even the most resilient trees have a limited lifespan, the Authority has been systematically working to preserve the genetic material of ‘Dedek’ since 2014,” the city authority stated. “Thanks to this, ‘Dedek’s’ legacy will continue to live on. We will plant its clones in Maksimir Park to preserve the memory of a tree that beautifully represented the strength of nature."