Reviving a Millennial Charcoal Tradition in Germany’s Harz Mountains

On Thursday, June 18, 2026, brothers Immo and Sascha Feldmer weighed and bagged charcoal at their Harzköhlerei Stemberghaus site near Hasselfelde in the Harz forest. The charcoal is produced in earthen kilns that follow a method first documented over 1,000 years ago in the region.

In a German forest, 2 brothers keep the ancient tradition of charcoal burning alive

Beech wood—chosen for its density and high-temperature burn—is stacked tightly inside a mound and covered with earth, leaving air holes for controlled smouldering. The wood smoulders for weeks, gradually converting to charcoal. Workers monitor the process day and night to prevent accidental ignition. Once the charcoal cools, soil is swept away and the product is packed into 10-kilogram (22-pound) bags for sale.

In a German forest, 2 brothers keep the ancient tradition of charcoal burning alive

The Feldmers produce roughly 40 tons of charcoal annually, a volume insufficient to sustain the family business on its own. Consequently, they have diversified by opening a small museum, a shop, and a restaurant that serves local dishes—including steaks grilled over their homemade birch charcoal. Most of their sales go to German households for home barbecues, a niche market that contrasts with the majority of charcoal in national hardware stores, which is imported and made from mixed or waste wood.

In a German forest, 2 brothers keep the ancient tradition of charcoal burning alive

Charcoal once powered ore-smelting operations that extracted silver, lead, copper and zinc from Harz mines. With mining long ceased, only a handful of charcoal burners remain in Germany. Immo Feldmer says the family hopes the craft will be passed to their children and continue to operate, keeping the tradition alive for future generations.

The Independent

• “We are making charcoal in traditional earthen kilns, just as it was done here in the Harz Mountains over 1,000 years ago,” — Sascha Feldmer

In a German forest, 2 brothers keep the ancient tradition of charcoal burning alive

• “Our charcoal is, first and foremost, made from pure beech wood,” — Sascha Feldmer

In a German forest, 2 brothers keep the ancient tradition of charcoal burning alive