Naše kulturno bogastvo - Razvojni center Srca Slovenije

Charcoal productionEven today Dole near Litija boaststhe presence of an almost disappearedold craft, i.e. charcoal production.The tradition of burningcharcoal was brought to these placesby Italian charcoal burners overone hundred years ago. The preparationof a clamp and producingcharcoal in the traditional methodis a procedure that has been preservedby local charcoal burnersover years; they are very close tothe forests and life next to them.Twenty-five charcoal burners workin the area and they burn around30 clamps, which amounts to 150 to200 tons of quality charcoal.The technique of charcoal burningand producing it in upright clampswas brought to these places by Italiancharcoal burners in the middle ofthe 19th century. During World War IIcharcoal production was discontinuedsince the majority of the population wasdeported to Germany. After World WarII charcoal production picked up again.After the war, charcoal was exportedmainly to Italy while the most importantamong national users were LitostrojLjubljana and Strojna tovarna Trbovlje.Recently, charcoal has mostly beenused for the preparation of grilled foodand smaller quantities are required bythe chemical industry, rubber production,in soldering copper and zinc sheetmetal and for the production of specialsteel in the ironwork industry. Qualitycharcoal is used by artists for drawing,some doctors treat stomach disorderswith it; charcoal is also used for whiteningteeth.The preparation of a charcoal clampis a demanding task, the procedure isconnected with the preparation of theclamp area, wood, and it involves pilingand covering the pile, burning or charcoalingand finally undoing the pile. Acharcoal burner needs about 43 daysfor the entire procedure with an averagecharcoal pile. With larger piles whichgenerate up to eight tons of charcoal heneeds around 47 days. The work is donemostly by a charcoal burner and hisfamily; it is only when backening thatcharcoal burners help each other bymonitoring the clamp in turns. A groupis most frequently composed of three tofour charcoal burners and they undo anaverage-sized clamp in one day. In oneday, to wit, overnight, charcoal coolsdown and the next day it is ready to bebagged. The preparation of charcoalfor selling, from undoing the clamp topacking requires three to six days.In the area of Dole, today 12 charcoalfarms burn charcoal, some of them welcomevisitors and present the traditionof charcoal production. The charcoalfarm Brinovec offers a presentation ofcharcoal production, an assortment ofcharcoal, receives groups and educationaltraining for the young. The charcoalburner at the farm is glad to telleverything about charcoal production,preparation of a clamp and offers youa charcoal meal. There is Oglarska pot(Charcoal Way; translator’s note) alongthe farm which brings you to the charcoalfarm Medved where at this momentthey are demonstrating burningof charcoal in the traditional manner.The interconnected charcoal burners atDole near Litija appear today under thebrand Oglarska dežela (Charcoal Land;translator’s note) which has rubbed offnot only on the locals but on the visitorsto the area as well.Charcoal Land(Stane Kmetič, Dole near Litija)I will sharpen my saw and start to fell,I will rid our grassland of weed,green grass of mine, God speed,Charcoal Land has no match!Now a large clamp is set up,Come, wifey, it starts to smoke,You, wifey of mine, no joke,Charcoal Land has no match!45