Description [EN]
Within the municipal area of Goch, the Viller Mühle today functions as a museum, an events venue and the site of the so-called "Market of Forgotten Goods"; it is privately owned and protected as a historic monument.
The mill is situated in the Kessel district on the banks of the Niers, close to the Dutch border near Ottersum and Gennep; to the northwest the Reichswald borders the settlement. This location combines a rural peripheral position with a transport history linked to its proximity to the border.
The history of the site goes back to a donation charter of the Abbey of Echternach from 751/52; the estate Hommersum was first mentioned in connection with the mill in 1291, when it passed to a monastery. Records attest the mill in the 14th and 16th centuries; in an inspection of 1600 it is described as a grain and oil mill, and it appears in documents of the 17th and 18th centuries. After secularisation the property passed into private ownership in 1802 and was auctioned in 1806. In the 19th century technical and structural development began: owners installed additional drive mechanisms, the present mill wing was built in the early 1870s, and in 1877 a narrow-gauge horse railway with a connection track was established, over which grain, oilseeds and coal were transported. The residential house, boiler house, chimney and silo wings mainly date from around 1890 to 1912; after a major fire in 1913 parts were renewed. Staff numbers rose significantly before the First World War but fell again during the war. From the 1930s the mill operated only with steam and electricity; with the straightening of the Niers in 1933 the water supply ceased. The oil mill ceased operations in 1940, followed by the closure of the grain mill in 1972; thereafter the buildings were used for the production and storage of animal feed. In the 1990s a puppeteer acquired the ensemble and carried out extensive restorations; since 2000 the complex has been listed as a monument.
The architecture and technology reflect the transition to factory-style steam technology of the 19th century: transmission shafts, belt drives and conveying equipment point to industrial modes of production and are valuable for industrial archaeological research, not least because many components have been preserved. The exterior appearance, with elements of the round-arch style and a simple cubic form, documents the development toward modernity; preserved details such as cast-iron windows and staircases underscore its heritage value.
The building houses an extensive collection of old shop inventories and curiosities; in addition, food and beverage facilities and conference rooms are offered, and the sack warehouse regularly serves as a stage for events as well as for recordings of a cabaret series in collaboration with a broadcaster. The Viller Mühle is entered on the city of Goch’s monument list under No. 50, Kessel, Viller 32.