FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show Trees Growing Through Chairs Set Up For A Wedding In Poland Before The Nazi Invasion?
An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows chairs that were set up for a 1939 wedding in Poland and abandoned after Nazis invaded the country.
Verdict: False
The image actually shows part of a 21st century art installation in Belgium.
Fact Check:
The claim about the image of the red chairs with tree trunks between the seats and backs has been circulating since at least 2015. (RELATED: Did Werner Herzog Compare Present-Day America To Nazi Germany?)
“DID YOU KNOW?” reads a recent iteration of the claim. “These chairs were laid out for a wedding in 1939 in Poland. The wedding was abandoned, and so were the chairs due to the German invasion. They were found again after the war with the trees growing through them. Every year they are repainted.”
Nazi Germany started invading Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, The New York Times reported. That invasion initiated World War II in Europe, with Britain and France declaring war on Germany two days later, according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Contrary to the image’s claim, the chairs are not located in Poland and were not set up for a wedding in 1939. Instead, they are part of a 2001 art display in Belgium created by French artist Patrick Demazeau.
“This image was taken from my work produced in Belgium in Gesves in May 2001,” Demazeau told Check Your Fact in an email. “Its name: ‘Concerto de la nature’… An inspiration from the 4 seasons of Vivaldi’s concerto. 25 trees are seated in 25 chairs like musicians playing the score. This work is still visible maintained by the association: ‘La fete de mai.’”
Demazeau directed Check Your Fact to where the art installation can be seen on Google Maps. His website features different photos of the display.