German Roofing Slate

German roofing slate (Dachschiefer) comes from several deposits in the central uplands of Germany. It has been used on roofs and walls since Roman times and gives towns of the Mosel, Hunsrück, Eifel, Sauerland and Thuringia their dark, finely patterned roofs. Production has shrunk to a handful of mines, but German slate was recognised as a heritage stone by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in 2024.

Regions

• Mosel slate (Moselschiefer), from the area of Mayen, Polch, Müllenbach and Trier. Historically it was the largest German source, with more than half of West German output. Only the Katzenberg and Margareta mines in Mayen may still use the name Moselschiefer.
• Hunsrück slate, from Altlay, Bundenbach, Kirn, Gemünden and Herrstein. The Altlay mine is still active and announced an open-pit phase in new deposits in 2020.
• Sauerland slate, from Fredeburg, Brilon and Nuttlar, described as the largest known German deposit; a combined mine near Bad Fredeburg is active.
• Thuringian slate, worked at sites including Unterloquitz, Schmiedebach and Tschirma. Nearby Steinach held a world monopoly on slate pencils until the 1960s.
• Bavaria, where Lotharheiler slate is worked near Geroldsgrün.

History

Roman builders on the Rhine and Mosel laid slate roofs to fixed rules, and the craft flourished in the Middle Ages. Slate was also made into writing tablets and slate pencils from the Middle Ages to the mid-20th century. In the early 1920s the national roofers' organisation and the slate industry negotiated a system of regional names for German slate, published on 7 August 1932 and reconfirmed in 1953 and 1967. Many mines closed in the 20th century, among them Wadrill in Saarland in 1953 and the roofing-slate mines of Kaub on the Rhine in 1972. Imported slate also has a long history in Germany: after the Hamburg fire of 1842, Germany became an important market for Welsh slate.

Characteristics and use

German slating is known for its variety. Roofers work with around 250 formats, typically 4-6 mm (about 0.16-0.24 in) thick, and with methods such as the Altdeutsche Deckung, in which graded, shaped slates are laid in rising courses, and scale-shaped coverings. Slate is used for wall cladding as well as roofs. The Fell Exhibition Slate Mine near Trier presents the history of Mosel slate mining.

Market

Spain is the largest producer of roofing slate in Europe, supplying about 90% of the continent's natural roofing slate, and imported slate is widely used in Germany alongside the remaining domestic production.

Sources and gaps

Current German production volumes and import shares: published information is limited.