Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Holländerwindmühle

De Molen van Piet (or officially “De Groot”) is located in the city centre of Alkmaar on the top of the former rampart, towering above the surrounding urban development. This windmill with a stage was built in 1769 and from then on served as a corn mill for ages. In the year of 1874 the mill is owned by miller S. de Groot. Ten years later mill "De Groot" is bought by C. Piet, who came from Aalsmeer and was a miller in Sloten. He had a house made at the lower floors of the mill. The mill's surname remained popularly associated with the mill and the old name “De Groot” is hardly used. Nowadays the fourth generation of the Piet family still lives in the mill. The mill is now owned by the municipality, but is still inhabited and milled - every now and then - by a member of the Piet family. Only during special occasions the mill can be visited.

The exact year of construction the octagonal polder windmill De Woudaap is not known, but on 14 March 1651 a permit was granted for the embankment of the peat bog area the Woudpolder , then called De Wouden . De Woudaap must have been built in or shortly after 1651. After construction of the mill the excess water of the polder could be pumped away and the meadows could be put to better use. In 1864, De Woudaap was given a screw instead of a scoop wheel, which increased the capacity of the mill. The polder mill was kept in operation professionally until the year 2002. With the death of the last miller in that year this came to an end. In 2008 a new electric pumping station was built, which takes care of the water management of the polder. De Woudaap itself is nowadays put into operation on a voluntary basis. The mill is fully operational and will contribute to the drainage whenever it is possible or necessary. The mill can handle up to 70m³ of water per minute.

Although the name De Oude Knegt (The Old Servant) suggests otherwise, the current windmill is relatively young and dates just from the year 2004. However, its history goes back for centuries. As early as 1333 documents speak of a corn mill in the village of Akersloot. It is almost certain that the very first post mill was burned down by the Spaniards during the siege of Alkmaar (1573). In 1580, the village council of Akersloot decided to rebuild a corn mill, which would be owned by the village community. This mill was probably in operation until 1817, when De Oude Knegt is mentioned.In that year the mill was replaced by an octagonal mill, which was moved from elsewhere. This mill remained in operation for more than hundred years. In 1925 the mill was disassembled and partly demolished. A local initiative ensured that the mill was rebuilt on a new spot in 1981. For many years the mill supplied flour to private customers and to a number of bakers in the area. But at the turn of the year 2000 - 2001 the mill burned down completely. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, the mill could be rebuilt. In 2004 the project was completed and De Oude Knegt was festively put into operation as a corn mill. De Oude Knegt is open to visitors (Wednesdays and Saturdays) and flour products are sold in the miller's house.

The Tweede Broekermolen is a windmill, which is very likely built in 1631. With four other mills, the mill drained the 1,800 ha large Uitgeester- and Heemskerkerbroek polder. The windmill is an octagonal polder windmill with a low, stone base and a wooden, thatched upper structure. From 1866 onwards, the mill worked with a mortar, which had a diameter of 2 meters. In 1874, it was decided to increase the drainage of the polder with a steam pumping station, which was electrified in 1925. In 1874, it was decided to increase the drainage of the polder with a steam pumping station, which was electrified in 1925. Some years later, the two remaining polder mills were sold. It was not until 1975 that the Tweede Broekermolen was made operational again. From 1989 on a major renovation took place. The mill - also in use as a home - is still operational, but only works on a voluntary basis.

Woldzigt (meaning “view of the woods”) is an octagonal smock mill. It is a three-storey mill on a four-storey brick base. The stage is at third-floor level, 10 meters above ground level. The smock and cap are thatched. It is a quite unique windmill, as it has two buildings on the side; one was used to house the miller and the other as some kind of factory housing. The mill is dating back to 1852, when it was built as a combined corn and oil mill. The oil mill was used to crush linseed and rapeseed to produce oil. The season for oil milling ran from September until May. Throughout the year the mill also functioned as a corn mill. In 1902 the mill was sold and a petrol engine was installed as auxiliary power. Four years later the petrol engine was replaced by a steam engine. In 1941, the mill ceased to produce oil. Corn milling ended in 1951. In 1970 the mill was sold to the municipality of Roden. The mill was completely restored in 1976. In 2016 Woldzigt was transferred by the municipality to Het Drentse Landschap (a foundation aiming to preserve the landscape and cultural history of the province of Drenthe). The mill is managed by Stichting olie- en korenmolen Woldzigt (Oil and corn mill Woldzigt Society). The mill is entirely ready for operation. It is open for visitors, although with limited opening hours. The Dutch Grain Museum houses in a side wing of the mill.

Not so long ago I visited windmill The Helper on the shore of the Paterswoldsemeer . On that gray rainy day I decided to come back at another time. That moment came much sooner than expected. Due to the corona crisis, travelling abroad was no longer possible and I was already happy with a trip to this part of my country. Now under totally different circumstances: nice sunny weather with even sunbathing visitors along the water's edge. What a difference with three months ago: www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/49807386 De Helper is a polder mill on the east bank of the Paterswoldsemeer. The mill was built in 1863 south of the city of Groningen for the drainage of the Helpman polder using a screw pump. In the sixties of the 20th century the mill became permanently out of use and fell into disrepair. Because of the expansion of the city of Groningen and the construction of the A28 motorway in 1969 De Helper was demolished at its original location. In 1971 the mill was rebuilt on its present location on the banks of the Paterswoldsemeer. The mill is in operation on a voluntary basis.

Before the year of 1780 there was a post mill on the site of this mill. That mill had been blown over and repaired, but in the year 1780 it was demolished and replaced by the present hexagonal mill. The Molen van Waardenburg is one of the eight remaining hexagonal mills in the Netherlands. For many years the mill belonged to the Waardenburg-Neerijnen estate. In the First World War, the windmill was used to generate electricity. After the high water levels in the river Waal in 1995, the dike of the river was made heavier and raised, after which the mill was also raised by one and a half meters. Because of its location, the corn mill is considered being one of the more beautiful mills in the Netherlands. Since 2009 the mill is owned by Stichting Geldersch Landschap & Kasteelen , a foundation for the protection of nature and landscape in the province of Gelderland. The mill is still regularly used for grinding grain by volunteers.

Windmill De Duif (The Pigeon) was built in 1886 on the spot where a previous mill was burned down after a lightning strike. The mill - formerly called the Veelhorster molen was owned in the 17th century by the influential Feyth family from Elburg and was used for grinding grain from the beginning. It is an octagonal 'belt mill' (belt = a man made hill); the hill has a height of over 4 metres. The mill has been restored in 1963 and 1982. After this restoration, grain is milled again on a voluntary basis.

Veldkamp's Meuln (Veldkamp’s Mill) is a 19th century seven storey tower mill, with a stage at the third floor level. The mill was built in 1855 as a grist and oil mill and owned by the Veldkamp family for many years, which explains the name of the mill. During its existence the mill was regularly damaged by storms, namely in 1895, 1972 and 1976. The mill was restored several times, the last time in 2002. Since then, the mill is regularly operated by a volunteer miller. Most of the husking machinery has disappeared, the mill still possesses two pairs of millstones. Since the year of 1972 the mill is a national heritage site. Nowadays Veldkamp's Meuln is owned by the municipality. The mill is open for visitors, although it has limited opening hours.

De Helper is a polder mill on the east bank of the Paterswoldsemeer . The mill was built in 1863 south of the city of Groningen for the drainage of the Helpman polder using a screw pump. In the sixties of the 20th century the mill became permanently out of use and fell into disrepair. Because of the expansion of the city of Groningen and the construction of the A28 motorway in 1969 De Helper was demolished at its original location. In 1971 the mill was rebuilt on its present location on the banks of the Paterswoldsemeer . The mill is in operation on a voluntary basis.

The current Zijpe and Hazepolder was until the 12th a bog area, protected by the row of dunes from the North Sea. The reclamation of the peat for the benefit of farming led to the land being lowered and due to the rising of the sea level the area was endangered. From around the year of 1600 the new polder was drained by twenty mills. Each mill took care of its own part (also called afdeling = section). The area was subdivided for this purpose and the 20 parts were assigned the letters of the alphabet (A to U, the letter J was not used). On a map dating from that year there is no mill in the northern part of section G of the Zijpe polder . Probably this higher part of the section was not drained until around the middle of the 17th century. In 1664 there was at least a windmill. The current Noorder G polder mill is probably still the first original mill. Until August 1958, this section was only drained using wind power. In that year the windmill was decommissioned and the paddle wheel removed. It was then replaced by a mortar with a diesel engine. In 1969 the dilapidated windmill became the property of a foundation: Stichting De Zijper Molens . An external restoration was carried out between 1969 and 1972. After the motor mortar had been removed, the inside of the mill was reconstructed during the restoration at the end of 2003. In 2004 the mill was once again able to drain its section of the polder. Since then it is regularly put into operation.

The windmill has a history going back to 1369, when there already was a mill in the hamlet Karrichoven (nowadays Kerkhoven, a neighbourhood of Oisterwijk). The current mill was built in 1895 after the wooden post mill was completely destroyed by fire. But in 1910 another fire destroyed the interior of the mill, but was repaired with parts of a polder mill in Rhoon (near Rotterdam). The Kerkhovense Molen was used for grinding grain and tree bark (used by the local tanneries in Oisterwijk) until after the World War II. After that it was used as a café and youthhostel. Between 1976 and 1979 the mill was completed renovated and after thirty years it could grind again on wind power. In the meantime the mill is owned by a foundation ( Stichting De Kerkhovense Molen ), which renovated the mill again. In 1999 it was officially reopened and the mill is still used for grinding grain. The mill got also its original name Onvermoeid (Untiring), but the name Kerkhovense Molen is much more common. On the ground floor the mill has a cute tea/coffee room and a shop, selling flour and other local products.

D’Orangemolen (d'Orange Mill) is a round brick smock mill. The flour mill was built in 1734 by order of the Nassause Domeinraad for 8.000 florins. The mill was owned by the Princes of Orange. Prins Maurits leased the mill to the miller who offered the most. It was called the ‘compulsive mill’ because all local farmers were obliged to use d'Orangemolen for grinding their grain. The mill was restored in 1999 and the wings were also reinstalled. In 2004 the mill was in operation again after 40 or 50 years. Nowadays the mill is privately owned and used as a home Willem van Oranje (William of Orange) gave his name to the town of Willemstad. Yet the town does not owe its existence to him but to the marquis of Bergen op Zoom, Jan IV of Glymes. He ordered that some salt marshes should be drained and surrounded by dykes. That’s were the village of Ruygenhil came into being in 1565. In 1582 the Province of Brabant gave the village to prins Willem van Oranje in compensation for what he had spent and lost in the “cause of freedom”. After his dead in 1584 his son Prince Maurits named the town Willemstad (William’s Town), as we call it in Dutch.

The authentic Bolwerksmolen (Stronghold Mill) was built in 1863 by the Elfrink brothers. They were timber merchants and asked for a permission from the municipality of Deventer ( www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/47478274 ) community to built a sawmill on a (former) stronghold of the city. The area on the IJssel riverbank was rich in timber and they wanted to use the windmill for sawing woods. The mill was named after its location: bolwerk means stronghold or bastion. The thatched octagonal smock mill ( stellingmolen ) stands on a square wooden base with a sawing shed. It has a slipway (PiP 1) for pulling tree trunks out of a small pond (PiP 2): due to the drought completely dry. The windmill has been damaged multiple times by natural disasters and human negligence. At the beginning of the 21st century the mill appeared to have subsided in such a way that a radical restoration was necessary. Since spring 2007 the mill returned to its original shape. Nowadays the Bolwerksmolen is owned by the municipality of Deventer and operated by a foundation. In the meantime this remarkable wind-powered mill has been turned into a museum; although with limited opening hours. If interested to visit check their website: www.bolwerksmolen.nl

Windmill De Maagd (the Virgin) is a smock mill, which was built in 1894. The flour mill is located on the outskirts of the Dutch village and surrounded by wheat fields. After a first restoration in 1960 it fell back into disrepair. After a second restoration - 1988 - the mill is in working order again. De Maagd has two flocks of millstones that are used to grind grain on a professional basis. One pair is driven by wind and the other has an alectric engine. The mill is quite unique as it used on a daily base. The flour of the mill is delivered to bakers and (pancake) restaurants, but also to other mill shops, hotels and hospitals.

Although the mill is called Torenmolen van Gronsveld it is actually located in suburb of Maastricht. The city was during the construction of the windmill not as big as it is now and all local farmers were only allowed by the local governement to use this windmill. The Tower Mill of Gronsveld was built between 1618 and 1623 - in the elevationon which the mill is built a stone can be found with the inscription “1622”. The construction took place on behalf of Count Joest Maximilliaan van Gronsveld. De Molen van Gronsveld is the most southerly windmill in the Netherlands and the oldest in the province of Limburg. It is one of the few brick windmills in the Netherlands. Probably in 1766 the windmill was made a bit taller. This can be seen at the top end of the windmill. These kind of windmills usually go straight up, but its the top turns slightly inwards at the top (PiP). Between 1924 and 1930 the windmill was taken out of use. In 1941 it was restored. During the fighting on 13 September 1944 with the liberation of Maastricht the windmill and one of the houses next to it were shot at and caught fire. The flour mill has been restored again in 1959. In the beginning of the ‘70’s the windmill has been made in working order and is now regularly in use, grinding grain for farmers and bakers. Torenmolen van Gronsveld can be visted for free, although the opening hours are limited.

De Zaandplatte is a windmill in a hamlet called Engeland , just outside the village of Ruinen and nearby National Park Dwingelderveld . Its name is derived from its current location, a former piece of ferocious land with the name De Zaandplatte . It is a thatched, octagonal wooden ‘belt mill’ ( belt is a man made elevation) dating from 1964. Although originally the mill - dating back to the end of the 18th century - stood in the village of Echten and was in a bad state of dilapidation. It was demolished in 1962 and rebuilt and put back in operation about 9 km’s away on its current location. In the past Ruinen had thirteen windmills, De Zaandplatte is the only remaining one. Initially the rebuilt mill was used as a holiday home. After the restoration at the end of the 20th century the ownership of the mill was transferred by the municipality to a foundation Vrienden van de Ruiner Molen . Since then the mill is grinding again and is running on a voluntary basis. In 2007 De Zaandplatte was chosen as the most beautiful mill of the province of Drenthe. Although with limited hours, the mill is open for visitors.

‘De Wachter’ is an octagonal smock mill ( stellingmolen ). The three storey smock mill has a base of a four storey brick base. The stage is at 9,55 metres above ground level. The smock and cap are both thatched. The sails have a span of 22 metres. The flour and oil mill was built in 1851 for the family Van Bon; the first miller. In 1895 the mill was bought by Jan Medendorp, who installed two steam engines; one of these engines was used to power a spice mill. In 1935 the oil mill and spice mill ceased to be used and were dismantled, as were the steam engines. Between 1968 and 1970 the mill was restored, as the rest of the of the mill was later. In 1989 the mill was transferred into the ownership of a foundation (‘Stichting Koren- en Oliemolen De Wachter’). Nowadays ‘De Wachter’ is a cultural-historical museum (with limited opening hours). Apart from the flour, oil and spices mill the complex houses period shops and a couple of workshops. These are all presented as they would have appeared in 1895. (For more info: www.dewachter.nl)