Windmühlen in Ostfriesland: Ein Wegweiser für die Freiheit (A leisure guide)
Full details
| English title | Windmills in East Frisia |
| Authors & editors | |
| Publisher | Soltau-Kurier-Norden |
| Year of publication | 1983 |
| Languages | German (main text) |
| Medium | Book |
| Edition | 1 |
| ISBN | 392236537X |
| Topics | Wind & watermills > Other Europe (not GB) > Germany, Austria & Switzerland |
| Tags | |
| Scope & content | Summary Translation Windmills have always dominated the countryside in East Frisia, but since the war many have disappeared. The booklet is designed to inform the public about the current state of these mills and to raise awareness of the need for conservation measures. The text includes labelled diagrams to explain the principles of postmills, hollow post mills and Dutch mills, their sails and grinding mechanisms; it goes on to outline the different uses of mills.The booklet describes the history of local millers and the laws governing their work in the East Frisia area. The feudal law forcing all farmers to use a particular mill was abolished with the French occupation of 1810, after which time the number of mills increased greatly, and continued to rise even after the Prussians and later the Hanoverians took over. In 1895 the number of mills reached its peak, at 174. The number of mills fell after the early decades of the 20th century, for several reasons: people started eating potatoes rather than grain products; motors were more efficient and reliable than wind power; competition from industrial mills; farms started grinding fodder in their own mills. An association for the preservation of wind and water mills in Lower Saxony has been established to raise public awareness and encourage their conservation. Volunteers and ex-millers are working to preserve individual mills. The second half of the book gives information about the state of 59 mills in East Frisia as of summer 1983, with brief histories, how to find them and details of their current use. Map extracts of the area shows the location of each. There is a general overview map on the front endpaper. Most of the descriptions are accompanied by a small colour photo. There is also a list of rural museums in the area, and a list of the mills with their numbers as on the International Molinological Number Index. |
Copies held
Accession no. 229741
- Shelf location: C114
- Donor: Ken Major Collection
- Advance notice required to view in person
