Historical Wood Utilization in Austria

Wood is one of the most important sustainable natural resources. The history of wood utilization extends to over 400,000 years, and the worldwide demand for sustainable supplies will likely continue well into the future. Archaeological evidence indicates that wood was initially used for tools as well as for burning. In the past various wood species were always used according to their properties. In literature a report of a single farming house (Bohemia), where 27 different wood species were used, can be found. In old literature - starting in the 18th century - descriptions of wood properties and applications of nowadays rarely used species can be found. In literature from the middle of the 20th century descriptions of just the main trading wood species (including tropical species) can be found. Usually there is no geographical or chronological reference in descriptions of wood properties and applications.. The aim of this project is the analysis of wooden collections in museums. The wood species, and if possible the dendrochronological date, should be determined at buildings, tools, household appliances, furniture, machines and so on. It is planned to study the collections of the Austrian Open Air Museum Stübing (Österreichsiches Freilichtmuseum, Stübing bei Graz, Styria), the Forest Farmers Museum (Waldbauernmuseum, Gutenstein, Lower Austria) and the Forest Museum (Forstmuseum Silvanum, Landl, Styria). This choice ensures the analysis of different geographical regions. The information about wood species and the dendrochronological dates are missing in the descriptions of the museums. Within this project a data base of wood properties, described by detected applications, in combination with information of the geographical origin and the date, should be established. An important part of this data base are nowadays rarely used wood species. This data base is an important step to the preservation of immaterial goods defined by the UNESCO - the knowledge about wood utilization. But it is also a wide step into the future: The results should become part of the exhibitions and should remind the visitors of historical wood utilization. The obtained knowledge about nowadays rarely used wood species is an important contribution to the discussions about sustainable forests and wood supply. The results obtained at buildings will give basic knowledge of how to maintain and conserve such buildings outside the museums, which are in use and usually not protected.

Wood was the most important raw-material in former times. It was handled with great wisdom and experience. People used wood in the most profitable way; trying to lose as little wood as possible during manufacturing. Selection of the wood species as well as wood working, utilisation of special stem assortments and optimisation of the storage time was well considered. Due to the project it was possible to rediscover old knowledge. Within three years of work almost 10.000 wooden parts from the collections of six different museums have been analysed. Surprisingly, 50 different wood species could be detected. More than half of the identified species is nowadays rarely used, or no longer in use. These species include 20 different shrub-species (for example: cornelian cherry, common barberry, hazel nut) and eight fruit bearing tree species (for example: wild service tree, fowl cherry, plum tree). It was possible to describe some species as real specialists: Most teeth of rakes were made of common barberry a strong, but still flexible wood originating from a very small shrub. Most floating or friction bearings were made out of Apple or Pear-wood which are described as hard and dens. Thinking just on density and hardness, it would be possible to find other species. There is a special reason for the selection, which we still do not know exactly maybe because of their good lubrication. There are some generalists, too: Norway spruce was the main species to set up buildings since a long time. European beech was found very often for a lot of different purposes but was not really specialised. At the end a data-base, combining wood species, description of the part and the required wood properties was developed.66 farm houses from all over Austria, nowadays located at the Austrian Open Air Museum Stübing, were dendrochronological dated. The oldest building was a granary from Styria dating back to 1452. The youngest one was set up in 1932.208 furniture and 168 coopered vessels from three Austrian museums were chosen for dendrochronological dating. The dates of the sampled furniture range between 1524 and 1937. Coopered vessels were dated between 1612 and 1940. Analysing the results of the furniture, it became clear that as little wood was lost during manufacturing as possible and seasoning time was optimised to only a few years. For example a cupboard, which was painted in 1819, showed the last tree ring dated to 1814. That means that just five years were lost due to seasoning and due wood loss of wood during manufacturing.It was possible to find special wood assortments (for example the branch-stem-junction) used for special purposes using the higher strength of such naturally grown structures.