Die Welsche Mühle in Aachen-Haaren
Full details
| English title | The “French” mill in Aachen-Haaren |
| Authors & editors | Schweitzer, Peter [Author] |
| Languages | German (main text) |
| Medium | Book |
| Edition | 1 |
| Topics | Wind & watermills > Other Europe (not GB) > Germany, Austria & Switzerland |
| Tags | |
| Scope & content | Summary Translation A guide to the history of the “French” mill, originally known as the Oberhaaren mill, in Aachen. Built on the Haarbach river, it was one of the first three water mills in the area which were first documented in the early 15th century. At the time of publication, it was the only remaining water mill in the Aachen area. The current name was first documented in 1780, when it came into the hands of a French-speaking owner. The guide summarises the history of several local mills and their owners, and that of the French mill in more detail. The mill fell more and more into disrepair in the 20th century and in peace time was used for milling only occasionally even before the sluice of the mill race was destroyed in 1961, after which both the race and the millponds sanded up. The family of the last millers moved out in 1972. The mill had passed into the hands of the local authorities in 1962; changes of local organisation meant that in 1972 the city of Aachen became the owner. Town planning measures after World War 2 originally envisaged the demolition of the mill. But it was decided to restore it instead. The guide describes the administrative and technical procedures. The condition of the building meant that it had to be largely stripped out, which made it possible to reconstruct much of its former appearance, since some of the original equipment and design was still present. The restored mill was opened to the public as a meeting centre.The book contains a number of – somewhat fuzzy – black-and-white photos of the mill buildings, wheel, mill pond, grinder etc before and after restoration, and an unlabelled diagram of the grinding mechanism. |
Copies held
Accession no. 229735
- Shelf location: C114
- Donor: Ken Major Collection
- Advance notice required to view in person
