Minden-Lübbecke

Schiffmühle Minden

Minden-Lübbecke

Schiffmühle Minden

Ship mills were widespread in the period around 1300. On the Elbe River alone, over 500 ship mills were still in operation around 1500. All ship mills in the district disappeared by 1800 at the latest. There were many reasons for the disappearance. The first reason was the higher efficiency of wind and water mills. The dangers of "grinding on water" were greater than with other mills. The increasing shipping traffic contributed significantly to the decline of ship milling.

The ship mill, which has been located off Minden since 1998, consists of the large house ship and the narrow corrugated ship. Between the ships turns the mighty ten-armed paddle wheel with a diameter and width of 5 meters. Between the ships is the nine-meter-long shaft, which drives the grinding gear via a gearbox of comb and stock wheels. With its equipment, the Minden ship mill is the only mill of its type capable of grinding. Today, the visitor can enter the ship mill via a safe footbridge and get to know the interesting working world of the ship miller in the 17th century inside.

Minden-Lübbecke