We about us

in 1994/95 charcoal makers and local history friends of Sosa and the Erz Mountains formed the idea to revive the old tradition of charcoal festivals. 20 years had gone by since the last charcoal festival had taken place and traditional charcoal kilns had not been smoking since the 1970’s, they had been replaced by steel kilns. When the 1st Charcoal festival was being prepared in Sosa for 1996 the idea was formed to invite charcoal makers from all over Germany and the rest of Europe to the celebrations.

Therewith lies the ‘hour of birth’ of the European Charcoal Association in the years 1995/96. The 1st Charcoal Festival became the 1st European Re-union of about 70 charcoal makers and friends of the old trade who came from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Slovakia. It was at that point that the decision to create a European organisation was taken in order to preserve and maintain the traditional handicraft and to pass it on to future generations. The interest was great and within the next months the basic principles for the formation of the ECA were established. On 3rd October 1997 the European Charcoal Association (ECA) was founded in Hasselfelde / Harz and the decision of Sosa in 1996 was therewith underwritten. Since then, ECA membership has grown from the original 12 founding members to more than 800 members, most of whom come from traditional charcoal locations in Germany but also from Italy, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Hungry, Rumania, Poland and the Czech Republic.

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