In former times, every village had at least one windmill or watermill: the year 1424 – as it is documented – was the first time sails of a windmill turned in the wind in Esens. Around the year 1900, the East Friesian mill stock reached the greatest number of 174 mills.
Nearly half of these mills have been preserved. The pinned disk mill of Aurich is five floors high, and as such, the highest still fully operative mill. To use the wind in an optimal manner, it was, as it was surrounded by houses, built two floors higher than others. Of course, only a few of the old mills serve their original purpose, grinding grain, or, in form of scoop mills, draining wetlands.
In Krummhörn-Greetsiel, Großefehn-Spetzerfehn, Friedeburg-Horsten and Zetel-Ruttel for example, real millers are still at work. Some mills became museums. Those that no longer have their grinding facilities any more, serve as picture galleries, cafés, lodges or are even used as registry offices. For tourists, the visit of these historical buildings is an ideal possibility to learn about the region and the people. Besides, travelling the windy region of East Friesland is an interesting educational experience of the technical past of this region.
The Rysumer mill was built in 1895 as a two-story mill. After it was destroyed in a fire in 1917,..
The municipality of Edewecht, to which the village of Westerscheps belongs, sports a windmill in..
As early as 1741, Poppe Embken constructed the hulling mill to shell barley, with a dwelling-house..
Mill ensemble in Westoverledingen -..
There was already a Bock windmill at the Ems dike at Mitling-Mark (in which grain was grinded) in..
Scoop Mill Wynhamster Kolk in Bunde..
The wind and water mill Wynhamster Kolk in the village of Ditzumerhammrich was built in 1804 and..
Here, the first mill was built in 1818 by the miller Eckhoff. Soon after its inauguration, it was..