Princely head huntsman

“Wood is half the battle”

In the 18th century, forests were a resource of life: Le bois est comme une demi-vie – “Wood is, as it were, half of life”, to quote a French forest regulation from 1610. This refers to the forest primarily as a fuel resource.

Nassau-Weilburg therefore also needed appropriate forest regulations. In 1749, Prince Carl August therefore issued a “forestry, woodland and hunting regulation”. It laid down the hunting regulations: No one in our territories, forests, woods, fields, hedgerows and püschen should be allowed to hunt, shoot, chase, hunt for game, set yarn or make ditches, or to set or set traps or self-targets or ropes on any kind of game, large or small. Hunting was therefore also subject to strict regulations.

Similarly, the princely interest was in forest sustainability. This term has been used in the German-speaking world since the early 18th century. It is given concrete form in the “Forest, Woodland and Hunting Regulations”:

In view of the great shortage of firewood and timber, which is becoming more and more acute every day, [ist] it is of the utmost necessity to take immediate precautions and regulations for the conservation of the remaining wood and the possible emergence of new growth.

The implementation had to be ensured by the Princely Chief Hunting Office.