Publication:

Ansbach gestern + heute 19/20

    Full details

    English titleAnsbach yesterday + today 19/20
    Authors & editors

    Bürger, Werner [Author]

    Languages

    German (main text)

    Medium Book
    Edition1
    Topics

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

    Tags

    Scope & contentSummary Translation
    Commercial booklet of articles about various aspects of culture in Ansbach. The longest article is about windmills in the area. It starts with theories about how windmills reached Europe in general and Bavaria in particular, and their development over time.vThe first mention of a windmill in Ansbach dates from 1616 but not much is known about it. It probably did not survive the 30 Years’ War.

    A plan of the fortress at Wülzburg, reproduced here, of about 1620, shows a windmill in one of its bastions, and also a horse mill.

    Despite official encouragement, a mill built in 1731 was unsuccessful and often lay idle. There are references to windmills, both working and abandoned, in various documents in the 18th century.They all faced the same problem: because of the unreliability of the wind in the area, the post mill was the only possible kind and they had to be built in exposed positions. But when there were exceptional storms, they were badly damaged. An attempt to build a windmill in 1792, on the grounds that water was often short in the area, was given official approval, but opposed by local people. The objections were overridden.In 1801 the windmill in Betzenstein was rebuilt; it was demolished in 1917.The last windmill in the area was built in 1914, but stopped working after it was seriously damaged in a storm in 1922.

    Copies held

    Accession no. 229760

    • Shelf location: C114-(3)
    • Donor: Ken Major Collection
    • Advance notice required to view in person