Ever wonder how a windmill became the heart of a beloved bakery? That’s the story of the Braaker Mühle. This isn’t just a pretty windmill. It’s a testament to family tradition and Schleswig-Holstein ingenuity.
The Braaker Mühle you see before you has stood here since 1850. Friedrich August Reimers a miller’s assistant built it. Reimers faced many hurdles during construction. He even wrote to a minister in Copenhagen for permission to build!
In 1859 Carl Heinrich Christoph Lessau bought the mill. He also started the Braaker Mühle bakery. His wife Anna baked bread on their kitchen stove. She sold it in nearby towns.
The Lessau family lived in the brick base of the mill. Later they moved to a house nearby. The family expanded their land over time. They eventually farmed nearly 27 hectares.
The Braaker Mühle was modernized by Carl Christoph Eduard Lessau. He added adjustable shutters to the sails. He also installed a cast-iron shaft and wind rose on the cap.
In 1935 the reed roof was replaced with sheet metal for fire safety. A silo was added inside the Braaker Mühle. It could hold 38 tons of grain.
During the 1950s the bakery became the main business. Werner Lessau took over. He was both a baker and a miller.
A gas explosion destroyed the bakery in 1957. But the Braaker Mühle itself was unharmed. A new bakery was quickly built.
Grinding with wind power stopped in 1977. Modern combines damaged the grain. The Braaker Mühle lacked the right cleaning equipment. The unused mill began to decay.
The Braaker Mühle gained historical protection in 1983. Werner Lessau died in 1982. His son Joachim became the new head of the company.
The “Braaker Mühle” association was founded in 1990. Locals wanted to restore the mill. It took five years of hard work. In 1996 the restored mill was reopened.
The Braaker Mühle grinds about three tons of whole-grain flour each week. That’s about 15 percent of the bakery’s needs. You can buy flour and other products in the mill shop.
Tim Lessau joined the family business in 2014. He is the sixth generation. Today the Braaker Mühle has over 200 employees. They work in many locations. These include the Braaker Mühle bakery and at markets.
From defiant beginnings to a cornerstone of the community the Braaker Mühle stands tall. It is a reminder that with a little wind power and a lot of heart anything is possible.