Hauberg Bark and Wood (May, 2000) At Fellinghausen, a few miles north of Siegen, there is an effort to reestablish a Hauberg, used for centuries to try to obtain the necessary oak bark for the tanneries. Two of the other byproducts of a Hauberg are wood for charcoal and wood for heating and cooking. The wood for the charcoal are the larger pieces. The bundles of twigs are the cooking and heating fuel. (One sees why they used the layered construction of their houses to keep warm.) Only the largest pieces were stripped of their bark. The labor was too much for the return on the smaller pieces. The entire process, in all aspects, was very labor intensive. The larger city in the background is Kreutzal. (File size:  800 x 531, 93,159 Bytes)

Hauberg Wood for Charcoal (May, 2000) More wood destined to become charcoal. The smaller pieces still have their bark because it was not easy to remove. It takes fifty pounds of wood to smelt one pound of iron! (File size:  800 x 531, 100,206 Bytes)

Hauberg Bark for Tanning (May, 2000) Here is some bark down on the ground where we can see it close up. It is heavy bark even though the trees are young. The strips are in big pieces and usually run for the length of the cut. According to my Langenscheidt reference work, the primary purpose of a Hauberg is the production of oak bark for the tanneries. It is no longer necessary, as chemicals have replaced the bark. The Fellinghausen project is of historical interest as it brings the past into the present. Several of our Germanna people ran tanneries in Virginia and faced the problem of obtaining oak bark. (File size:  800 x 533, 84,005 Bytes)

Hauberg Bark (May, 2000) After the bark is removed from the tree or the upper branches, it is bundled and tied and usually left in an upright position. If it rained, it would dry out quickly. (File size:  546 x 800, 99,071 Bytes)

Hauberg Bark (May, 2000) The bark is stripped from the tree while it is still standing and left to dry. In this position, even it rains, the bark dries out quickly. Stripping goes up about twelve feet; a ladder is necessary. These photos were taken in the month of May, so the harvesting of wood and bark is a spring-time effort. After the tree has been felled, some more wood and bark can be salvaged from the upper branches. (File size:  546 x 800, 120,213 Bytes)

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