Publication:

Mühlenbau in und um Wolfenbüttel: Ein Streifzug durch die Entwicklungsgeschichte des Mühlenbaus in unserer Region (A survey of the history of millwrighting in our region)

    Full details

    English titleMill construction in and near Wolfenbüttel
    Authors & editors

    Hagen, Rüdiger [Author]

    Publisher Aktionsgemeinschaft Altstadt Wolfenbüttel
    Year of publication 2005
    Languages

    German (main text)

    Medium Book
    Edition1
    ISBN3000176047
    Topics

    Wind & watermills > Other Europe (not GB) > Germany, Austria & Switzerland

    Tags

    Scope & contentSummary Translation

    A book about the water and wind mills and steam and electric powered mills in the Wolfenbüttel area of Lower Saxony.

    It starts with a brief account of watermills in Germany before the industrial revolution, then describes in more detail watermills and the different kinds of wheel and different kinds of windmill, and mills not powered by nature. It continues with the evolution of milling techniques in Wolfenbüttel, with the introduction of close milling and innovations from the US and Austria, the expansion of mills, particularly post mills, as demand for quality increased, the introduction of iron in mill construction.

    The next section looks in detail at the contribution of the Luther family and its firm of millwrights in Wolfenbüttel, with the new technology the introduced. The text details i.a. the struggles to make roller mills with which the company was involved. They eventually left the town and set up in Brunswick, where the company blossomed further: the factory was destroyed, and its last owner killed, in a bombing raid in 1944. The successor firm MIAG was taken over by a Swiss company in 1972/3, but continues to produce mill machinery.

    The book goes on to describe the Kissel firm, Wolfenbüttel’s second biggest millwright, and its production of high quality technology for windmills.Wolfenbüttel also had a millstone industry, which is described, along with firms involved in their production and other regional producers for comparison.The next section looks at the restructuring of the milling industry and decline of craft milling.The final section consists of photos, sketches, diagrams and documents from wind and water mills around Wolfenbüttel.

    The whole book is richly illustrated with photos, diagrams, maps and historical drawings.

    Copies held

    Accession no. 229732

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