A very important role of charcoal in the process of metal production – especially copper, bronze and iron – spans back to the ancient history. On the area of present-day Slovenia the traces of iron production disappear during the Roman age and do not reappear until the 14th century. The real revival of iron production, closely related to wood and charcoal production, dates back to the 19th century, when the number of foundries began to rise fast. In the mid-19th century most of the charcoal was produced in Gorenjska region and Kočevski Rog, while smaller quantities were also produced in Dolenjska and Notranjska region. The wider area of Radece also experienced a significant modernisation of charcoal-production methods in this time. New methods were introduced mainly by Italian wood colliers.

The development of mining and traffic, especially railways, contributed to a fast process of replacing the charcoal with coal. Some of the foundries nonetheless continued using charcoal, which obtained its position until the 1890's, when beech wood started to be used into technical purposes and therefore reached higher price than charcoal. 

Nonetheless, charcoal production again experienced fast growth in the area of Kum and upper parts of Sopota Valley after the World War I had ended. Substantial parts of woods were razed and horses were used to transport the charcoal to distribution stations. As there were few other options to earn a living, charcoal production and production of railway sleepers became major sources of income in the period between the world wars. The havoc of World War II then had a significant negative impact on charcoal production in Slovenian space as a whole – in a wider Radece area many people, including wood colliers, had to abandon their home and their work to be forcefully resettled in Germany. After the end of World War II charcoal production took up again with newly established factories and even Italian buyers as customers, but soon the production started to decline again. And although it is still possible to meet a wood collier and see a wood pile today, the charcoal production seems to be only a distant memory now.

(Source: Jože Prah)