Reichwaldsche Mühle
The Reichwaldsche mill is under monument protection standing water mill in Wiepke in Saxony-Anhalt .
Geographical location
The watermill is located on the western outskirts of the village of Wiepke on Wiepker Bach . The stream rises further west in the source moor Elf Quellen in the Hellberge . Originally there were two more watermills downstream in Wiepke, but they have not been preserved.
history
The existence of mills in Wiepke is first documented for the year 1472. The mills are also mentioned in a feudal letter from Elector Albrecht Achilles of Brandenburg dated January 11th of this year.
The Reichwaldsche Mühle, which still exists today, has existed at least since the 17th century. In the church book of 1688 the mill is referred to as the tree mill . Master miller was a master Gercke at this time . He was also a church elder. He had eight children with his wife Anna.
The inscription on the water inlet ANNA REINICKENMJOHANN JOCHIMGERCKE ANNO 1693 goes back to this couple .
In the 1930s, a waterworks was built on the upper reaches of the Wiepker Bach, which drives the mill . Since then the amount of water still arriving at the mill has decreased. The last miller was Richard Reichwald . He retired in the early 1960s and gave up running the mill. A successor to continue operating the mill was no longer found. In addition to the problem of insufficient water flow in the brook, the mill also lacked orders. In the course of the collectivization of agriculture in the GDR , the rural population no longer grew any grain for their own use. The mill fell into disrepair and the facility was threatened with demolition, even though in 1978 the mill was placed under state monument protection.
In 1986, after the death of the widow of the last miller, Friedrich-Wilhelm Gille bought the mill for residential purposes and tried to maintain it. Work began in 1987. Due to the scarcity of building materials in the GDR economy, people resorted to self-help and traditional and therefore heritage-friendly building materials and methods from the start. From 1988 the sandstone channel of the water supply and the building were reconstructed. After the political turning point in 1989 and German reunification , new funding opportunities arose which ensured the long-term success of efforts to maintain the mill.
In 1993, the mill, which was not yet inhabited and inoperative, took part in the Saxony-Anhalt Mill Festival for the first time. 300 visitors came, in 1994 already 1000 visitors, 1995 more than 2000. As a result of the great popularity, the Mill Association was founded on September 10, 1995 by 22 interested parties. 10 years later the association had 70 members.
In 1997 the mill homestead was included in the list of monuments of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. In the same year, the mill was back in operation for the first time in more than 30 years.
investment
The mill forms a mill farm. The mill building was built around 1680. It was built in half-timbered construction from oak. The house was built in the same way in 1722. Between 1988 and 1996 the ensemble of buildings was completely renovated and reconstructed.
The barn was built in 1874 using rammed earth . It is the largest building of this type in the region.
Mill technology has remained practically unchanged since the middle of the 19th century. The mill is driven by an overshot water wheel. The water wheel and the oak drive shaft were rebuilt in 1996.
There are three grinding / grist passages with sand or quartzite stones. In 1890 a Wetzig roller mill was installed . One of the shotguns was brought back to working order in 1997. According to the original design, a wooden neck bearing was used.
In the top floor of the mill building, next to the flour bunker, there is a hexagonal sifter as well as a bag elevator and transmission shafts . The loft houses guardians and cleaners. The different floors of the mill are connected by elevators .
The water mill is now in operation as a technical demonstration system. However, since the reduced water power of the creek is not enough to drive the mill effectively, an electric motor had to be created in the attic as an additional drive.
Web links
Coordinates: 52 ° 35 ′ 54.6 ″ N , 11 ° 19 ′ 28 ″ E