Grossefehn: Erzählungen und Bilder aus der ältesten ostfriesischen Fehncolonie und ihrer Umgebung (Tales and pictures from the oldest East Frisian fenland colony and area)

Full details

English title	Grossefehn
Authors & editors	Gronewold, Heinrich [Author]
Publisher	Verkehrs- und Heimatverein, Grossefehn e.V
Year of publication	1983
Languages	German (main text)
Medium	Book
Edition	1
Topics	Wind & watermills > Other Europe (not GB) > Germany, Austria & Switzerland
Tags
Scope & content	Summary Translation Book about the development of the fenland of East Frisia in Lower Saxony, Grossefehn being one of the districts there. The material, much of it the reminiscences of local people, was collected to mark Grossefehn’s 350th anniversary. The windmills of the fenland are covered in the first chapter. Five of them survive, all of them Dutch gallery mills. A mill builder still lives in the area, a member of the 5th generation. The text describes the story of the family in the 20th century, as told by the current representative. They were kept busy maintaining mills, but there was little call for major repairs or new building. Today the remaining mills are in private hands or belong to villages, and are not in use for grinding. Repairs are usually left too long and most of the work is more like new building. There is a detailed description of the work involved in repairing windmills, and of the grinding process. The chapter contains five historical black-and-white photos of various windmills; there are two other photos in the final chapter, which consists of recollections and poems in dialect, none of them about mills.The remainder of the book covers various other aspects of the lives of the people of the fens. Several chapters are devoted to different aspects of shipping in the area.There is a sketch map in the front endpaper of the area showing the roads and canals.

Copies held

Accession no. 229676

• Shelf location: C114-GRO
• Donor: Ken Major Collection
• Advance notice required to view in person