Peat-Powered Berlin: The Role of Peat in the Urban Energy Transition in the Mid-Nineteenth Century

Berlin’s energy supply in the nineteenth century did not transition directly from firewood to lignite and hard coal. Instead, peat played a significant role in the urban fuel mix, especially up to the 1870s. Within the city, this fuel was very present in the urban scenery, while the peat extraction profoundly changed the landscape in the nearby Rhinluch.