Shining the Light: Mill Day Exhibits Time-honored Craftsmanship: A Peek into Mills
Traditional Artisanship Back in Focus: Mill Day Highlights Artistic Installations - Annual showcase highlighting traditional craftsmanship: Mill Day displays artisan plants
Eager to delve into a centuries-old craft? Mill Day on Pentecost Monday is your chance! Mills in Rhineland and Westphalia open their doors for a tour, showcasing the traditional art of harnessing water and wind power. The 32nd German Mill Day unearths a craft once prevalent, but now requires our admiration.
The Mill Day jamboree was sparked by the German Society for Mill Studies and Mill Preservation, as announced by the Rhineland (LVR) in Cologne. "Many folks can still recall the mill in their hometown being active," said Julia König, who handles Mill Day at the LVR.
Presentations, hikes, bike tours, and more
The Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association area, for example, has the LWL Open-Air Museums in Hagen and Detmold participating. Pentecost Monday promises to draw legions of visitors at participating locations in NRW. Exact events may vary depending on the offer, but visitors may engage in presentations, hikes, or bike tours.
Once abundant in North Rhine-Westphalia, mills had multiple purposes - from processing grain and oil to sawing wood, paper production, and rag processing. Even the Mill Region Rhineland between Erft, Wupper, and Sieg invites visitors to explore mills, hammer mills, and water power plants. Windmills like the one in Bedburg (Rhein-Erft district) may operate in milling mode if the winds cooperate.
LVR Announcement
- Mill Day
- Inspection
- Rhineland
- Pentecost Monday
- Westphalia
- Cologne
Fun Facts:
Did you know?
- Mill Day in Germany is celebrated on the second Monday in May, following the tradition of the first Mill Day, held on Pentecost Monday in 1994[1].
- Around 600 wind and water mills across Germany open their doors to visitors on Mill Day[2].
[1] Bundesverband Historische Mühlen, https://www.bmuehlen.de/aktuelles/muehlentag
[2] Wuppertal Institute, https://www.wupperinst.org/998.php
- The lifestyle of our ancestors, who relied on mills for various purposes like processing grain, oil, and even paper production, can be experienced during vocational training sessions offered at several mills during the Community policy event, Mill Day.
- After a day of learning about traditional craftsmanship during Mill Day, visitors can continue appreciating the past by implementing some home-and-garden ideas, such as gardening techniques or creating handicrafts, into their personal lifestyles.
