Station: [8] Eppingen Forest – Firewood and Timber for the Locals
No forest equals no house! At least no timber-frame house.
Even if a visitor to our Eppingen weren’t familiar with the surrounding area, a short walk around the town would be enough to tell them – there must be a lot of timber locally. How true!
Especially if you’re aware that a carpenter needs between 100 and 300 tree trunks to build a large timber-frame house.
From the middle ages until modern times, the forest was essential to everyday life. It supplied timber for construction, firewood, wood for furniture and doors, for carts and barrows – and was even used to build the “Eppingen Lines”. In short, Eppingen Forest was an important source of the town’s prosperity. The fact that it first appeared in a document in 1220 is evidence of that.
Even now, Eppingen is the second most densely wooded municipality in the Stuttgart administrative district, and oaks are the second most common trees in the forest. Ideal conditions for high quality, long-lasting timber-frame architecture.
In earlier centuries, Eppingen Forest was primarily managed for coppicing, or coppicing with standards (where some trees remain untouched). That changed in the mid-19th century, when both forms of management were phased out and replaced by full grown trees raised for timber.
That led to heated protests by the locals. They were concerned about losing their ancient right to fuelwood (similar to common rights in the New Forest). This guaranteed every resident of the town a certain amount of free firewood, to be determined annually.
In 1870, a judgment handed down from the administrative court, and an assurance from Grand Duke Friedrich, allayed people’s concerns. No resident would have to worry about their right to fuelwood.
Though forestry is no longer vital to the town, Eppingen Forest is still a wonderful place to recuperate, participate in sporting activities, enjoy the natural world, or simply go for long walks – for instance on the Eppingen barefoot path.
No forest equals no house! At least no timber-frame house.
Even if a visitor to our Eppingen weren’t familiar with the surrounding area, a short walk around the town would be enough to tell them – there must be a lot of timber locally. How true!
Especially if you’re aware that a carpenter needs between 100 and 300 tree trunks to build a large timber-frame house.
From the middle ages until modern times, the forest was essential to everyday life. It supplied timber for construction, firewood, wood for furniture and doors, for carts and barrows – and was even used to build the “Eppingen Lines”. In short, Eppingen Forest was an important source of the town’s prosperity. The fact that it first appeared in a document in 1220 is evidence of that.
Even now, Eppingen is the second most densely wooded municipality in the Stuttgart administrative district, and oaks are the second most common trees in the forest. Ideal conditions for high quality, long-lasting timber-frame architecture.
In earlier centuries, Eppingen Forest was primarily managed for coppicing, or coppicing with standards (where some trees remain untouched). That changed in the mid-19th century, when both forms of management were phased out and replaced by full grown trees raised for timber.
That led to heated protests by the locals. They were concerned about losing their ancient right to fuelwood (similar to common rights in the New Forest). This guaranteed every resident of the town a certain amount of free firewood, to be determined annually.
In 1870, a judgment handed down from the administrative court, and an assurance from Grand Duke Friedrich, allayed people’s concerns. No resident would have to worry about their right to fuelwood.
Though forestry is no longer vital to the town, Eppingen Forest is still a wonderful place to recuperate, participate in sporting activities, enjoy the natural world, or simply go for long walks – for instance on the Eppingen barefoot path.
All depictions: © Stadt- und Fachwerkmuseum Eppingen