Brothers Preserve Centuries-Old Charcoal Burning Tradition in German Forest

In the forests near Hasselfelde in eastern Germany’s Harz Mountains, Immo Feldmer and his brother Sascha operate one of the region’s last traditional charcoal-burning operations. The brothers inherited their family business, Harzköhlerei Stemberghaus, from their father and now maintain production methods virtually unchanged from those used over 1,000 years ago in this mountain region.

The Feldmers employ a small team to oversee the painstaking charcoal production process. Beech wood is stacked densely inside earthen mounds, then covered and allowed to smolder for weeks while workers monitor the mounds continuously, day and night, to prevent the wood from igniting into useless ash rather than transforming into usable charcoal.

Once the wood has fully converted, workers unearth the charcoal, clean away soil, allow it to cool, and package it into 10-kilogram bags for sale. The brothers produce approximately 40 tons annually, primarily marketing their product to home barbecue enthusiasts and emphasizing that their charcoal is made exclusively from pure beech wood, unlike most imported alternatives sold in hardware stores.

Historically, charcoal production sustained hundreds of families throughout the Harz region, as the intense heat generated by charcoal was essential for smelting ore containing silver, lead, copper, and zinc. Today, mining in the area has ceased, and only a handful of charcoal burners remain active in Germany.

To supplement income from charcoal production alone, the Feldmers have diversified their operation to include a museum dedicated to charcoal-burning history, a retail shop, and a restaurant serving local specialties including steaks grilled over homemade birch charcoal. Feldmer expressed hope that his children will eventually take over the family enterprise, ensuring this traditional craft survives into future generations.