Mühlenmuseum Dinslaken-Hiesfeld

In the Hiesfeld district of Dinslaken, the Hiesfelder Mühlenmuseum preserves two historic mills as an ensemble: the tower mill on Sterkrader Straße and the water mill opposite the manor house Rittergut Haus Hiesfeld.

The museum was founded in 1991 in the buildings of the water mill and is the result of extensive civic restoration work that began with a support association in 1976. After the windmill was secured, the old Paumühle was rescued in 1979; the association then took over the care of both sites and later expanded the museum grounds with an additional building.

The water mill itself dates architecturally back to the 17th century; the timber-framed house was built around 1693, and the adjacent brick building followed around 1900. Historically the mill was closely linked to the manor house and is already documented in the Middle Ages as a court mill. The byname Paumühle derives from the judge Johann Pauwe from around 1500. Typical changes of use — from grain and oil to the processing of bark for leather production — reflect economic shifts in the region. After operations ceased in the 1920s, the buildings were used intermittently; only later restoration made the site accessible again. The water mill has been protected as a historic monument since 1984. Milling no longer takes place today, in part because the Rotbach’s water flow is too low and for reasons of monument protection.

The tower mill on Sterkrader Straße was erected in 1822 in the Dutch style: a conical brick tower with a rotating cap and a cross of sails. It served as a grain and bark mill, contained several pairs of millstones and is arranged over four floors. It is also known as the Eickhoff Mill, named after one of its early operators. Operation ended roughly a century after its construction; damage in 1945 and subsequent decay led to repairs in the 1950s and to its use as a museum by the association. The windmill has likewise been protected as a historic monument since 1984.

Inside the mill museum, traditional milling technology and equipment are displayed. Two buildings house over 60 detailed dioramas that recreate different mill types from around the world, including wind, water, ship and tide mills. The permanent exhibitions are complemented by changing special exhibitions and events. In the mill courtyard, a small bakehouse with occasional bread baking recalls the artisanal ties of earlier times.