"There is no final explanation yet," Schoönberger said. One theory, according to Schoönberger, is that the trees could have been planted specifically for growing bent wood to help construct things like ships, rocking chairs, and sleighs.
Others have speculated that the war had a significant impact on the landscape. "Some people speak about imprints of the war, since there was so much fighting between the Red Army and the Wehrmacht in this area," he said. "More obscure theories talk about witchcraft and energy fields ... but perhaps there will never be a final answer."