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Trippstadt will celebrate its annual “Kohlenbrennerfest,” or charcoal burners’ fest, Saturday and Sunday. Besides the traditional burning of charcoal, the fest includes demonstrations of old craftsmanship, displays, children’s activities and live music.
Members of local clubs and associations are in charge of demonstrating the burning of charcoal.
Traditionally, a week prior to the event, they pile up huge amounts of wood to build a coal kiln. A kind of chimney is surrounded by many sticks and covered with turf. The brushwood in the chimney is lit and the kiln starts burning.
Then the charcoal burners watch the burning, day and night, for up to a week, keeping the air outside the kiln. If the smoke coming out is blue, the burning process is correct. After the burning, the kiln falls down. The big charcoal pieces are chopped up, the others are raked, and all is collected and packaged.
During the fest, the whole process will be demonstrated again. One kiln will be built, another will burn, and a third will already be burned down. Visitors can buy the charcoal.
In former times, charcoal was needed to smelt iron ore. Due to the abundance of the forest and the waterpower of the Moosalb creek, the first smelting-works were established in the Trippstadt area in 1728. After many trees had been cut down for smelting, a new kind of tree, the fast-growing white pine, had to be planted. It was the perfect tree for charcoal making.
Mayor Manfred Stahl will officially open the event at 5 p.m. Saturday near the coal kiln, which will be lit. There will be musical entertainment and gun salutes. The charcoal burners’ fest will be celebrated on Hauptstrasse. Local clubs and restaurants will serve regional food specialties in their yards.
A display of photos by Beverly Nevers will be displayed in Gienanthsaal behind the Schloss-Stuben restaurant, and photos showing the fest during the last 30 years will be put up on the road leading to the charcoal kiln. The Musikkapelle Trippstadt will present a concert at 6:45 p.m. in front of the town hall. Throughout the evening bands will perform in the yards.
On Sunday, activities will begin at 10 a.m. with a hike for families starting near the town hall. The traditional smithy fest with smiths from all over Germany and neighboring countries will start at 11 a.m. in the Schmiede Huber. Goldsmiths and silversmiths will demonstrate and show their fine and elaborate works. A coppersmith will create roses and a blacksmith will produce individual nails. Fest-goers can also visit a special exhibition in the iron works museum.
A book bazaar and children’s flea market will be set up on Hauptstrasse, and at 2 p.m. children can get involved in special kids’ activities. All year-round, the Trippstadt Tourist Information office is selling charcoal. A big bag is €2.50 and the little one costs €1.50.
Trippstadt is an official health resort town because of its good climate and oxygen-rich air. It is located 12 kilometers south of Kaiserslautern.
