Holländerwindmühle Rövershagen

Gazing up at the Holländerwindmühle Rövershagen, imagine a time before the bustling Karls Erlebnis-Dorf existed. This windmill, a proud landmark of Rövershagen, has witnessed centuries of change. The Holländerwindmühle Rövershagen stands as a testament to the region’s rich milling history. An earlier mill existed on the road to Oberhagen, lost in the 16th century. Attempts to rebuild failed until June 26, 1868. The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg granted Rostock permission to build a new mill in Rövershagen. Still, construction didn’t begin immediately. A planned mill on a farm in Oberhagen never materialized. Finally, in 1881, the Holländerwindmühle Rövershagen was built. Miller’s journeyman Heinrich Klingenberg, son of Graal miller Johannes Klingenberg, commissioned it. He paid 3,000 marks to the city of Rostock’s treasury for the lease. The mill was a modern Erdholländer (ground-sail windmill). It boasted jalousie wings, a wind rose, and innovative milling passages. In 1908, a machine house with a locomobile was added. This allowed milling even in light winds. The mill operated until 1963. It even appeared in the film “Die Heiden von Kummerow” (The Heathens of Kummerow). After its closure, the mill began to decay. In the 1980s, demolition loomed. There were even plans to move it to Berlin-Marzahn. However, an idealist stepped in. Preservation efforts began in 1989. The first stabilization took place in April/May 1989. Then in March 1990, the mill was purchased and restored. The weather beam was replaced in August 1992. From 1993 to 1994, the body and cap were re-shingled with 25,000 hardwood shingles. In 1995, the base’s masonry was repaired. Three of the eight walls were demolished and rebuilt with original materials. The wind rose followed in 1996. A crane lifted the two-ton structure back into place on September 28. Finally, the wings were renewed from April to August 1997. Their span reached 21.60 meters. The wings with jalousie shutters weighed 750 kilograms, the others 500 kilograms. On August 31, 1997, the Holländerwindmühle Rövershagen stood complete. It was once again in working order. A storm in 2005 caused damage, repaired by 2006. Today, the Holländerwindmühle Rövershagen stands proudly. It is a beautifully preserved piece of history. It reminds us of Rövershagen’s past, long before strawberries and amusement parks arrived.