Dead Tree

For other uses, see Dead Tree (disambiguation).

Dead Tree
Informal area
The area of Dead Tree in April 2018
Micronation	Principality of New Eiffel
City	Új Repülő (principally) Plitvice (partly)

Dead Tree was an informal (officially undesignated) area of southeastern Új Repülő—the capital of the erstwhile Principality of New Eiffel—that was noted for its dark atmosphere due to a lack of sunlight, making it among the least traversed areas of the principality. As an undesignated area, the precise location of Dead Tree was not properly defined, though it was approximately located between the playhouse of New Eiffel School Playground; the southern end of the New Finland Monument tree; west of Plitvice Bomb Shelter in the city of Plitvice; east of a mound of dirt fronting Unnamed Circle; and immediately north of the New Eiffel–United Kingdom South Border.

Dead Tree was used mainly for storage; bricks and occasionally other garden tools were stored next to Plitvice Bomb Shelter in the area facing Dead Tree, surrounded by the J16 road. Tree logs, stone rubble, flower pots and large stone tiles were stored next to the lane fronting the South Border. The school playhouse went largely unused for recreational purposes; instead, the bottom of the playhouse where a sandbox once stood was used as storage for wooden planks. The playhouse was even subject to infrequent vandalism.

Description

Logs and bricks stored in Dead Tree, October 2018

As an undesignated area, the precise location of Dead Tree was not properly defined. Located principally in southeastern Új Repülő—the capital city of the erstwhile Principality of New Eiffel—Dead Tree was approximately located between the playhouse of New Eiffel School Playground; the southern end of the New Finland Monument tree; west of Plitvice Bomb Shelter in the city of Plitvice; east of a mound of dirt fronting Unnamed Circle near ǃkhās Street; and immediately north of the New Eiffel–United Kingdom South Border. Dead Tree was among the least traversed areas of the principality, owing to its lack of sunlight due to several surrounding trees. As such, there was almost no grass, creating a dark and unpleasant atmosphere. The wooden playhouse of New Eiffel School was also damaged and poorly-maintained, only further contributing to this negative aesthetic.

Transportation and use

Dead Tree Lane (Dead Tree Street) in November 2019

Dead Tree Lane, the road from which Dead Tree received its name, lead through the area to Unnamed Circle via the westbound Dead Tree Street and to Triple Junction—an intersection between the New Eiffel Main Route 1's ǃkhās Street and Új Repülő Street—via the northbound Northwest Street, which fronted the dirt mound of the roundabout. Dead Tree Lane was named in April 2018 after the tree stump of a pear tree (Pyrus) by the dirt mound where the lane lead to Unnamed Circle. The southern end of Prince Zabëlle I Road, which intersected the J16—which lead into Dead Tree Lane—at New Finland Monument, might have been considered as part of Dead Tree.

Bricks and occasionally other garden tools were stored next to Plitvice Bomb Shelter in the area facing Dead Tree, surrounded by the J16 road. Tree logs, stone rubble, flower pots and large stone tiles were stored next to the lane fronting the South Border. The school playhouse went largely unused for recreational purposes; instead, the bottom of the playhouse where a sandbox once stood was used as storage for wooden planks. The playhouse was even subject to infrequent vandalism.

History

Graffiti on the playhouse, pictured in December 2019

Dead Tree Lane followed a concrete pathway in the area originally intended for walking, which had been built between 15 January and 20 March 1946. By the late 20th century, the path had become covered in dirt and was obscured. The treehouse was built in 2013 but began to experience less usage from late 2016 and early 2017 onwards. On 31 December 2017, the Republic of New Finland—a distant predecessor to New Eiffel—was founded, and laid claim to the British territory on 4 January 2018. By this point, Dead Tree was neglected for the storage of miscellaneous objects and even had a fair amount of litter. The pathway was rediscovered in early 2018 by President Zabëlle Skye and younger brother Janus Smith. The two began cleaning it in April in order to reconstruct it as a New Finlandic road; they had the intent of using it for recreational cycling.

The Kingdom of New Finland succeeded the Republic on 4 June, followed by the establishment of New Eiffel on 11 August. On 16 October, Dead Tree Lane became the first road in the micronation to have road signs, although they would eventually be removed in September 2020. On 20 November 2019, the road underwent extensive maintenance, which included the construction of a small brick siding, and on 24 November a road sign was painted in stone. The logs being stored in-front of the South Border were removed in early 2020. On 9 February 2020 during Storm Ciara, falling debris from trees effected the safety of Dead Tree. On 10 March, the streets Dead Tree Street and Northwest Street were proclaimed by the Ministry of Transportation. On 1 November, New Eiffel dissolved following an almost year-long crisis.

See also

• Geography of New Eiffel
• Transport in New Eiffel