Deep within the Harz Mountains near the town of Hasselfelde, Germany, Immo Feldmer is working to maintain a craft that dates back over a millennium. By carefully layering smoldering charcoal into a tall earthen mound, he initiates a slow, precise process of converting beech wood into charcoal—a tradition that has defined the region for centuries.
Immo and his brother, Sascha, operate the Harzköhlerei Stemberghaus business, which they inherited from their father. The production process is labor-intensive, requiring a team of 2 workers to monitor the smoldering mounds day and night. Constant vigilance is necessary to prevent the wood from igniting into open flames, which would reduce the material to useless ash instead of the desired charcoal.
Historically, this method was vital for the Harz region's mining industry. The extraction of metals such as silver, lead, copper, and zinc relied on furnaces capable of reaching intense heat, a temperature threshold achievable only through the use of charcoal. While hundreds of families once earned their living as charcoal burners, the decline of local mining has left only a few practitioners remaining in the country today.
The Feldmer brothers currently produce approximately 40 tons of charcoal annually, primarily selling it to home barbecue enthusiasts. Immo Feldmer distinguishes their product from typical retail charcoal, which he notes is often composed of imported scrap, waste, or mixed woods to keep costs low. He emphasizes that their charcoal is made exclusively from pure beech wood.
Because charcoal production alone is not enough to sustain a livelihood, the brothers have diversified their business. They have established a museum dedicated to the history of the craft, alongside a store and restaurant that serves local specialties, including steaks prepared over their own birch charcoal.
Despite the fact that the traditional craft has largely vanished across Germany, the brothers remain committed to its preservation. Immo Feldmer expressed a strong desire for the family legacy to continue, hoping that the next generation will eventually take over the business and ensure that the centuries-old technique of charcoal burning survives in the Harz forest.
