Grindstones turning a whisper of the past. That’s the Britzer Mühle. Here before us stands a twelve-sided marvel. A testament to ingenuity and resilience. This isn’t just any windmill. The Britzer Mühle is one of only eight remaining in Berlin. It’s the sole survivor of six windmills that once graced Britz. Its story is one of transformation. Perseverance. And the enduring spirit of a city.
Built between 1865 and 1866 by miller Johann Wilhelm Gottlob Dörfer it boasts British-American technology. A rare and beautiful specimen. Dörfer sold this masterpiece eight years later to miller Karl Albert August Stechhan. The price then 19000 taler is worth around 570000 euros today. Quite a sum for a windmill. For a time it was even known as the Stechhansche Mühle. Stechhan added a boiler to the shed in 1893 to aid operations. He leased the mill in 1925 to Franz Bensdorf. Bensdorf silenced the wind’s song in 1936. He replaced the wind-powered mechanism with a diesel engine.
War came and left its mark. Allied air raids partially destroyed the mill in 1943. The mill complex housed GBI camp 25. It held approximately 400 forced laborers from Croatia and Serbia. New machinery was added in 1947. It was then removed again in 1953. This is because Richard Bensdorf used it in his newly built mill in Alt-Buckow.
In 1955 the Britzer Mühle found protection as a listed historical monument. Three years later its wings and gallery were restored. New wooden shingles covered its roof. In 1959 Berlin purchased the entire mill estate. They leased it to a scouting organization. The Berlin House of Representatives decided in 1977 to integrate the then 111-year-old Britzer Mühle into the concept of the 1985 Federal Horticultural Show. Renovations followed. Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker officially reopened the mill complex in 1985.
Piet Leeuw took over mill operations in 1986. He trained Berlin hobby millers beginning in February 1987. After a 50-year pause the first grain was ground again on February 23 1987. The Britzer Mühle Restaurant opened that year on May 16. Technical problems with the sails and cogwheel led to a temporary closure. In 1988 the old wooden sails were replaced. A new cogwheel and two new millstones were installed. The Britzer Mühle resumed operations.
The Britzer Mühle. More than a structure. It is a living narrative. A testament to time. A symbol of Berlin’s spirit. A place where history is felt. Where the rhythm of turning stones echoes through the years.