Modernizing the German forest—How a changing economy divided forestry economists, 1850-1900

The historiography of energy and industrialization characterizes the nineteenth century as the age of coal. Wood is rather seen as a pre-modern energy source. In line with this, the historiography on wood and forests focuses on the eighteenth century and the pioneering role of German foresters in determining sustainable management practices. Recently, historians have argued that wood remained a more important staple of industry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries than is often acknowledged. This raises the question how forestry economists and experts reacted to the rise of coal and industrialization. So far it has not been studied if these changes led to pessimism about the future of forests, new economic ideas or management practices, or changes in ownership structure or tariff policies. Focusing on Germany between 1850 and 1900, this paper uses forestry journals and handbooks to argue that foresters remained optimistic about future demand for timber, but strongly disagreed about economic questions regarding rotation periods, land use and the role of forests in the national economy.