Customs & Tradition

Today, peat is only mined in limited quantities for the health-promoting mud baths. In the past, however, peat was used as fuel, as insulation material, for lining baby beds (dry peat binds moisture and odor) or as bedding in stables.
By day Glassworks in Grafenaschau Because of the enormous wood consumption and the fact that the entire Hörnle area was largely unforested, peat became all the more important as fuel. Peat extraction for this purpose ended in the 1960s.

A drainage ditch had to be dug at the extraction site days before the peat was cut. During the extraction itself, L-shaped knives were used to cut even pieces of around 10 cm x 10 cm x 30 cm in size and then laid out and stacked to dry. The pieces were re-stacked every 5 weeks until they were completely dry after around 4 months. Because peat is normally so saturated with water, its weight after drying is only about an eighth of its original weight.
 

Why is it called Bad kohlgrub Bad Kohlgrub? The town has been a moorland spa for about 150 years, which explains the "Bad" (spa) designation. But "Kohlgrub"?

The village has a long tradition of charcoal production. Charcoal burning is an ancient craft practiced in the Ammergau Alps since the Middle Ages. Back then, it wasn't a particularly prestigious profession. Dust, soot, and heat (up to 400 degrees Celsius) made charcoal burning a truly "dirty" job.

The oldest technique for producing charcoal is the use of charcoal kilns. In a charcoal kiln, wood is converted into charcoal by heating it in an oxygen-deprived environment. Logs are stacked in a cone shape and then covered as airtight as possible with earth, clay, or sod. Inside the kiln, the wood is ignited and allowed to smolder slowly for several days without burning completely. During this process, water and volatile gases escape, leaving behind the carbon-rich solid residue: charcoal. 

Charcoal burning is difficult and requires considerable experience. The kiln must be constantly monitored because even small cracks in the covering or too much oxygen can cause the wood to catch fire and burn to ash. Conversely, a lack of oxygen can halt the process. The timing of extinguishing the kiln is particularly critical: if it is closed too early, the wood will not be fully carbonized; if one waits too long, the charcoal will burn and become unusable. 

Timber rafting is a form of timber transport that played an important economic role for centuries. The term "timber rafting" refers to the transport of logs and individual tree trunks that, after being felled, were placed in streams and rivers and carried by the current. This is distinct from log driving, where logs were bound together into larger units for transport on calmer waters.

The timber from the forests of the Ammergau Alps was sold in large quantities to the Munich area, where the demand for firewood and construction timber was high. For many farming families, selling timber was a particularly important source of income, especially in winter. During this time, fieldwork was at a standstill, while timber could be felled, split, and prepared for floating downstream. The Ammer River provided a natural transport route, saving on travel and haulage costs.

A central section of the log drive was the ScheibumThe narrow Ammer Gorge near Saulgrub is a prime example. Here, log driving was technically very complex. Above the constriction, the water was dammed using weirs, and the logs collected at a rack that held them back. Only when there was sufficient water and timber was the weir opened. The resulting surge created a strong current, necessary to transport the timber through the narrow, rocky gorge. Often, they deliberately waited for high water, as only then was there enough water volume and force to safely carry larger quantities of timber. Without this surge, the logs would have become jammed or simply stopped.

Below the Ammer Valley, conditions changed. In Weilheim, the timber was collected at the log yard. Only there did the actual log driving begin: the logs were sorted and tied together to form rafts. Earlier tying was not possible in the upper Ammer Valley because the river was too narrow, too fast-flowing, and too turbulent. On Lake Ammersee, however, loose log driving was no longer practical, which is why bundling was a prerequisite for further transport via the Amper and Isar rivers.

With the expansion of roads and railways in the 19th century, timber rafting gradually lost its importance. Transport by land was faster, less dependent on water levels, and easier to plan. The Ammergau Railway was initially used primarily for freight traffic, and timber depots and transshipment points were established at Altenau station. After the Second World War, there was a brief revival of timber rafting and waterborne timber transport due to material shortages and destroyed transport routes. This period also marked the definitive end of timber rafting in the Ammergau region.