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“The ECA shall be the umbrella organisation for all organisations and associations who are engaged in the pyrolysis process not only for economic reasons and who underwrite these articles. The objective of the ECA is the protection and maintenance of the charcoaling craft and its related technologies such as the tar distillery and pitch seething process in their traditional locations as well as the demonstration of its connection to the mining and metallurgy industries. The ECA shall promote local history and ancient customs and traditions in those European regions where charcoal making and its partnering trades (see above) have been preserved in their original form until today. Members of the ECA shall be dedicated to protect historic charcoal sites in their local area and to support their restoration and extension to museums of local history at traditional locations of charcoal making, tar distilleries, pitch seething and related trades.’’

To achieve these objectives, a continuous relationship between members and other organisations, the communities and regional bodies needs to be maintained, responsibility for which shall lie mainly with the committee members. The annually held committee meetings provide the basis for scientific research and for contact-making in the different regions of Germany and traditional charcoal regions of Europe. Outcomes are documented in the ‘Open Journals of the ECA’ available to members and all interested parties.

Highlights of the ECA are its biennial Charcoal Festivals which take place exclusively at established charcoaling sites which are operated by dedicated members.

Following is a list of previous festivals:

1996		1st European Charcoal Festival in Sosa / Erz Mountains / Saxony
1999		2nd European Charcoal Festival in Tornau / Heathland Düben / Saxony-Anhalt
2001		3rd European Charcoal Festival in Selb & Fichtelberg / Fichtelgebirge / Bavaria
2003		4th European Charcoal Festival in Hasselfelde & Braunlage / Harz / Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony
2005		5th European Charcoal Festival in Rohr / Lower Austria / Austria

Evaluation of the 4th Charcoal Festival in the Harz Mountains in 2003 and the committee meetings in 2004 and 2005 showed that, through intensive work of our members, charcoaling and other traditional pyrolysis methods have gained an important rank amongst artisan trades in Germany as well as other European countries. Charcoaling has regained its respect and popularity everywhere. The old trade is re-emerging in more and more places. Demonstrations in Germany as well as Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Rumania, Hungry, Poland and Austria are on the rise and prove to be increasingly popular as tourist attractions. We want to continue this positive development and appeal to all charcoal makers to not only use the old trade for economic purposes but to also promote its tradition and occasionally demonstrate it to visitors and tourists.

In future the ECA shall increasingly dedicate its work to research projects. This shall help to position the charcoal maker closer in its historic significance to that of the minor and smelt worker and to appreciate its role in the industrialisation and technical advancement of the human race better than before. Our ‘Open Journals’, the preparation and undertaking of research projects and scientific symposia at traditional charcoal locations shall provide the basis for this.

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