From a peat cutting to a nature reserve
Towards the end of the 19th century, peat – formed over millennia in the moors from dead plant matter – became a raw material of great importance to humankind. Peat extraction experienced an enormous boom. This is evidenced by organised, nationwide surveys of the moors, including measurements of the thickness of the peat deposits. Extracted from so-called peat pits, the peat was used as fuel peat in domestic settings, but also on a large scale. In addition to fuel peat, litter peat was extracted from the peat pits as a substitute for straw for use in animal stables, and peat mould was extracted for use as a growing medium. In 1902, a total of 166 employees were working in peat extraction at four sites in the district of Gmünd. In order to extract the peat, it was necessary to drain the moors beforehand by digging drainage ditches.
The Heidenreichsteiner Moor (‘Gemeindeau’) has also been severely affected by peat extraction, which dates back to 1885. Peat was cut in large parts of the bog, and drainage ditches still criss-cross the bog today. It is recorded that peat was cut here on a small scale until shortly after the Second World War.
