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***image1***Trippstadt celebrates its annual “Kohlenbrennerfest,” charcoal burners’ fest, Saturday and Sunday. Besides the traditional burning of charcoal, the fest includes demonstrations of old craftsmanship, an arts and crafts market, children’s activities and live music.
Members of local clubs and associations are in charge of demonstrating the burning of charcoal. 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.
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 burnt 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 esta-blished 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.
The charcoal burners’ fest will take place on Hauptstrasse. Local clubs and restaurants will serve food specialties in the yards. A display of photos from earlier fests will be set up on the road leading to the charcoal kiln. The arts and crafts market will be located in Gienanthsaal behind Schloss-Stuben.
Another attraction is the smithy fest with smiths from Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Bavaria and the Palatinate. Goldsmiths from the Rhine River will create Celtic jewelry and silversmiths will produce mugs and bowls. A goldsmith from the Saarland will use a former technique to make jewelry, and a coppersmith will make copper roses. Smiths from Trippstadt and the Donnersberg area will use a new technique to print daily coins. A brush maker will show how to make brushes and brooms.
A special exhibition in the iron works museum will show Trippstadt on old postcards.
Saturday, the fest officially starts at 5 p.m. next to the coal kiln. Sunday, the activities will start at 11 a.m.
Trippstadt is an official health resort town because of its good climate and oxygen-rich air. It is located within a wooded area, on a hill, 400 meters above sea level and 12 kilo-meters south of Kaiserslautern.
