German brothers preserve centuries‑old charcoal‑burning tradition

Immo Feldmer and his brother Sascha operate the Harzköhlerei Stemberghaus in the Harz forest near Hasselfelde, eastern Germany, continuing a charcoal‑burning craft practiced for over a thousand years.

Using traditional earthen kilns, they stack beech wood in mounds covered with earth, allowing it to smolder for weeks before extracting charcoal that is packed in 10‑kilogram bags. Their annual output is about 40 tons, sold mainly for home barbecues. The brothers also run a small museum, shop and restaurant that serve local specialties cooked over their own birch charcoal. Historically, charcoal from the Harz region fueled smelting furnaces for silver, lead, copper and zinc mining, but today the practice survives through a handful of families.

The Feldmers hope the venture preserves the cultural heritage of the Harz Mountains while providing a niche product in a market dominated by imported, mixed‑wood charcoal.