The Netherlands, the land of the windmills
history
Ever since the 16th century, hundreds of thousands of Dutch people have been living on the bottom of former lakes. In order to make this possible, many windmills were used to drain the land and keep it dry. Windmills still form an important element of water management in these low lands. The largest ones will, in a fair wind, lift 40,000 liters of water per minute to the height of four feet. In the 17th century, the invention of the camshaft and the crankshaft made it possible to use wind energy for a wide range of industrial purposes. Hundreds of windmills were used in the timber, paper and coloring industry and created the world's first industrial zones.
It is not known for certain when the first mills came into being, but by 1274 water mills,
driven by rivers and streams, had become familiar sight. In 1414 the earliest known
drainage mills were invented and by 1450 many could be found in South Holland. The mills
did not originate in The Netherlands but were said to have been introduced to Europe by the Middle
East during the times of the Crusades.
The development of the mills, however, are most certainly attributable to The Netherlands as it is unrivaled in the diversity of types of mills. The advent of technology, however, brought a quick end to the mill's usefulness. First the steam engines, the internal combustion and finally the electric motor, all gradually took over the jobs previously undertaken by the wind or the water.
The mills were no longer profitable and were either destroyed or used for storage. By 1923 only three thousand out of 10 thousand mills remained which further declined to just over the one thousand remaining today.
various types
The Dutch countryside contains two distinctive types of mills: , the water mill and the
windmill. The water mill can be found in the Eastern and Southern provinces of Twente,
Oost-Veluwe, the Achterhoek, Oost-Brabant and Limburg. These are the places where there
was sufficient flow of water to drive the wheel of the mill. These mills were usually used
as corn mills but they also produced paper, oil, and sawed timber. There are approximately
70 of these types left in The Netherlands.
The windmill is divided in two categories, the
industrial mills and the drainage mills. The industrial mills were named according to their
use (corn mill, mustard mill, sawmill, etc.), but have succumbed to modern technology (there are still a few left).
The drainage mills keep the land behind the dykes free of surplus water thereby creating "polders" (reclaimed land). These mills are still working in some of the older
polders. They are driven by catching the wind in their sails which in turn begins the
millstones. There are approximately 975 windmills left and can be found dispersed
throughout 12 provinces, with the majority residing in South Holland.
maintenance
Some mill societies have been created to preserve the remaining thousand mills. The Dutch Windmill Society was founded in 1923. Its primary purpose was to maintain and operate the mills but it also ended up renovating and providing technical advice to others who wished to do the same. Another society is called the Guild of Voluntary Millers. Since the profession of miller has all but disappeared, the members of this guild keep the mills going as they had in the old days to prevent them from standing still and being left for deterioration.
mills speak a language
The mills speak a language which can be read from the position of the sails. There are four positions; the celebration, mourning, brief resting, and longer time resting positions. In each position the sails will be slightly tilted one way or another so that the towns people will know what is occurring in the miller's life. Certain resting positions were also used to signal messages to confidants, such as letting the millwright know his services were required. During World War II, messages were relayed by prearranged signals used to warn people in hiding for the raids.
Although the number of mills has dropped, the image of the mill has and always will remain
an integral part of Dutch society. Families, streets, places, and products frequently have
the word mill in their names. Likewise references to the mill occur in Dutch-language
proverbs. An irrational person is said to have "had a bang on his head from the
windmill".
When visiting The Netherlands, visitors may notice a "blue ribbon" attached to the mills. This occurs on the first Saturday of every month and means that these mills can be visited, often free of charge or for a minimal amount towards the upkeep. However, on a day when a mill is working, visitors will most likely be more than welcome, because the millers are proud of their mill and are always pleased to show people around.
the Declaration of Independence
The American Declaration of Independence in 1776 was written on parchment from The Netherlands, made in the Zaan area. For many centuries, paper produced in this region was considered the best quality paper in the world. The windmill "De Schoolmeester" (The Teacher) built in 1692, is the one that made this famous piece of parchment and is the last remaining, working paper windmill in the world.
the mills at Kinderdijk
Kinderdijk is located sixty miles south of Amsterdam. Here nineteen glorious masterpieces,
all dating from 1740, compete for the visitors' attention. Kinderdijk is one of the best
known sights of The Netherlands and together with the Zaanse Schans, Kinderdijk is probably one of
the best known examples of the typical Dutch landscape. Images of this unique windmill
landscape are featured in every photo book on The Netherlands. In 1997, the Kinderdijk mills were
placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
The view is particularly striking from inside the Kinderdijk Hotel. Grab a snack and settle
back! From May through September you can also tour the site by boat. The windmills are open
to the public from April through September, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
On Saturdays, in July and August, the mills are turning and open to the public. Make sure
you don't forget to bring your camera. When these windmills are in operation, it is a
spectacular sight which will take you back 250 years.
the Zaanse Schans
The Zaanse Schans is a fully inhabited, open-air conservation area and museum located 9
miles north of Amsterdam. Original buildings vividly depict Dutch life in the 17th and 18th
centuries. The authentic houses, the historic shipyard, the clog-making demonstrations and,
above all, the windmills, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. De Zaan
region is probably the world's first industrial site ever. Some 250 years ago, well over
800 windmills were cramped into this relatively small area. They performed a wide range of
industrial duties. Of the five windmills, three are open to visitors. A boat tour on the
river Zaan offers a particularly wonderful view of these mills.
The open-air museum also features a wooden shoemaker, a pewter factory, bakery, cheese and
dairy farm, and a century-old grocery store.
mills outside the Zaanse Schans
Just outside Zaanse Schans you will find windmills with captivating names, such as 'De Bleeke Dood' (The Bleak Death), 'De Ooievaar' (The Stork) and 'De Held Jozua' (The Hero Joshua).
The history of the windmills is furthermore preserved in six special windmill museums
located throughout the Netherlands. De Valk Windmill Museum in Leiden, located between The
Hague and Amsterdam, is situated in a mill built in 1743. It has been left in as much of
its original state as possible including the original furniture of the last miller who
resided there.
A variety of mills are also featured at the Dutch Open Air Museum in Arnhem. Among the old
houses, old factories, and farms stand seventeen proud windmills that have played such a
significant role in the history of the country. Other windmill museums are located at
Nieuw-Vossemeer in the province Noord Brabant, in Vijfhuizen near Heemstede, and in
Schermerhorn.