Imagine living in a mill that straddles history and modernity. That is the Wehr-Obermühle in Görlitz.
Hello everyone. I’m thrilled to share the tale of the Wehr-Obermühle with you. It is more than just a building. It’s a living chronicle of Görlitz’s past.
The Obermühle, also known as the Upper Mill, was one of Görlitz’s three major grain mills on the Lusatian Neisse. The mill was first mentioned in 1305. It was then called the mill of Kunstinsdorf. Kunstinsdorf was a settlement south of the city walls.
Adam and Cristan von Grunow were named as the first owners around 1305. After many changes in ownership, the mill was completely renovated in 1562. Back then, the Obermühle area also had a fulling mill. There was also a paper mill, a copper mill and the stamping works of a scythe forge.
The river water needed to power the mill was dammed southeast of it. It was diverted between the western bank and a Neisse island. The municipal council sold the previously leased mill to Karl Gottlob Thieme in 1804. A fire completely destroyed the mill on April 15, 1830. Until then, the mill buildings had only been semi-solid.
The mill was rebuilt in its current solid form in 1830. Alfred Schreiber bought the mill in 1873. He soon took on his brothers Benno and Adolf as partners. In 1879, he sold his share to his brothers. He moved to Penzig where he had bought the Niedermühle. The Obermühle probably remained in the possession of Benno Schreiber’s heirs until the end of World War II. The mill survived the war largely undamaged. However, it can be assumed that it was also affected. This was during the demolition of the Neisse viaduct by Wehrmacht troops on the evening of May 7, 1945.
The mill found itself on the border river to the People’s Republic of Poland. This was because of the border demarcation after the Second World War along the Lusatian Neisse. Miller Ernst Apelt leased the mill from the city in 1953. Ten years later, it became his property. He was expropriated in 1972. The mill was transferred to public ownership. The Obermühle was returned to the miller’s ownership with the reunification in 1990. His youngest daughter Susanne Daubner took over the mill in 1992. She was a qualified brewer. Milling ceased at the Obermühle in 1994. The mill technology was sold.
Since 1999, the Obermühle has had a boat rental service. This was the first time since 1945. The mill’s owner operates the boat rental. In the same year, the Oder-Neisse Cycle Path opened through the Neisse Valley. It passes by the mill. A brewery and a restaurant opened in the former social building of the mill in 2001. This brewery is Germany’s easternmost brewery. It is a few meters further east than the Landskron Brewery. The Landskron Brewery long advertised with the slogan “Germany’s easternmost brewery”. In the years that followed, the residential building and other buildings were equipped for guest rooms. The restaurant was expanded with a terrace facing the Neisse with a view of the viaduct. Some bands use the spacious rooms in the former mill as rehearsal rooms. The Neisse flood in August 2010 devastated the restaurant and adjacent buildings.
Cultural events have been held regularly in the mill. They are called mill evenings. The boat rental with a total of 14 boats has also reopened. Jörg Daubner, the son, took over the mill in 2016. The chef and business philosopher decided to turn it into a sustainable company. Our new “miller” founded the children’s and school kitchen. He wanted to provide over 500 children with good and healthy food every day. Meanwhile, the Neisse is no longer used for milling. It is used for the mill’s own power generation. The “RainKost” mill gardeners plant and cultivate the vegetables for the restaurant.
Today, the Wehr-Obermühle stands as a testament to Görlitz’s resilience and innovation. It combines historical significance with modern-day sustainability. It is a must-see destination for anyone visiting Görlitz.