“Grindstones whisper stories” or so says the old miller’s adage. Right here we stand before the Mühlstein Stone. This stone isn’t just any rock it is a silent witness to Frankfurt’s milling history. The Mühlstein Stone reminds us of a time when mills were the heart of the community. They ground grain and powered local economies.
Let’s dive into the world of Frankfurt’s mills. The city once teemed with them. They lined rivers and streams. Mill archaeology thrives even in this big city. Cities needed mills to maintain city rights. Cities maintained their own milling operations. Some cities had power over mills outside their walls. Others had city mills within their fortifications. Mills existed where their services were essential. They were vital for the power and business of village and city communities.
Millers in villages were often viewed with suspicion. They were figures of songs and tales about deceitful practices. City millers had a different experience. The city government dictated milling costs. They also determined how much went to the miller and the city.
Many mills once surrounded Frankfurt. Today many mill sites lie within the city. Not every mill can be listed. We focus on those with visible remnants. Some sites may be missed out of ignorance. Perhaps an active operation has been overlooked.
Let’s trace Frankfurt’s former mill locations. We will follow the waterways because more water mill remains exist than windmill remains. Windmills are only mentioned. No remains exist.
The Main River reveals the first mill site. Near the Offenbach weir lies the Gerbermühle restaurant. The Main once powered a mill here. Only the name and building remain. Across from it the only known active Frankfurt mill operates. The large Kampfmeyer Mühlen industrial mill sits in the Osthafen area.
Downstream the Alte Brücke marks the location of Frankfurt’s most famous mill. Some foundation walls still exist. An art gallery stands on these foundations today. The Frankfurter Brückenmühle was on a small island south of the shore in the river. The island split the river near the Sachsenhausen bank. It directed water into the mill channel like a weir. Excess water flowed past the Sachsenhausen bank called “Müllermain”. The Sachsenhäuser Mainmühle stood near the Dreikönigskirche on the Sachsenhausen side.
Back at the Brückenmühle the large half-timbered building with two Panster wheels burned down several times. The sandstone building with three adjustable water wheels last burned down. It was never rebuilt. The mill channel is filled. Only the foundations tell of this important complex. Today a modern gallery rises on the Maininsel. It has nothing to do with the mill.
Old engravings show another mill on the Sachsenhausen side behind the island. Engravings also hint at several water wheels turning in the Main’s current on the Frankfurt side the Mainmühle. No traces exist today. Perhaps the city archives hold clues. Much archival content was lost in the war. No trace of the Frankfurter Mainmühle remains. The shore road covers its location. A street name Windmühlstraße marks the location of the Frankfurt windmill seen in engravings. A trestle windmill once turned in the wind outside the city walls.
No further traces were found downstream. The Brückenmühle ruins stand as a silent witness. It shows the Main’s only important driving force. The Mühlstein Stone offers a glimpse into Frankfurt’s forgotten industrial past. It invites us to remember the ingenuity and labor that shaped the city.