Alte Kornmühle Ramsbeck

In earlier times, water power was the most important source of energy in our homeland alongside muscle power. The numerous rivers and streams in the land of a thousand mountains offered ideal conditions for the construction of water mills to harness the power of flowing water. Water power was also used to produce oil (from flax or rapeseed), saw wood and operate pumps and hammer mills. The Ramsbeck mill was probably built 'at the Wenden of the 17th century'. It is first mentioned in the treasury list of 1685, when Cologne Elector Maximilian Heinrich levied a special tax on the rural population.

The Spielmann (a cottager whose real name is not given) 'needs the Zimmerwerck, lives in the mill in the village, but still has a house'. Another tax list from 1717 (Landständisches Archiv des Herzogtums Westfalen IV A Nr. 6, Staatsarchiv Münster) shows that the full-span farmer Jobst Nölleke, called Hüttemann, owns a hereditary mill in Ramsbeck. More than a hundred years later, the mill is still in operation. In the chronicle of the parish priest Milianus Eifler (Velmede parish) from 1823, the following is reported about Ramsbeck: 'There is also a grist and oil mill that belongs to Hüttemann'.

The Ramsbeck mill probably already had three water wheels as a special feature at that time, each of which was coupled to a grinding gear. This enabled the miller to grind grain as well as crush the seed capsules of flax or rapeseed with the help of the millstones. The miller heated the oily seed pulp, stirred it and filled the viscous mass into small bags. These were then placed under the "stampers", which pressed out the linseed oil, which was used in the farmhouses as cooking oil, but also as fuel for the oil lamps. The so-called "oil cake" remaining in the sacks was mixed into the feed of the young cattle to strengthen their bones.

An application for the registration of water rights from 1920 also refers to the impressive age of the Kornmühle. (The wooden interior was built around 1810, the current grinding stand dates back to the 1960s. The mill is the only surviving mill in North Rhine-Westphalia with three grinding stands and medieval technology. Each grinding mechanism was driven by a mill wheel. Transmissions or other gears were not originally used.

As early as the beginning of the 19th century, the grandfather of the current owner used a water wheel to generate electricity. He sold the electricity to the surrounding farms for 0.10 Reichsmark. After the then municipality of Ramsbeck was connected to the supply network of Vereinigte Elektrizitätswerke Westfalen (VEW), he stopped generating electricity again and expanded the toll mill to include a toll threshing facility. A threshing machine in the neighboring building was driven by a transmission. The mill was used in this way until the 1950s. Overcapacity in flour production and the introduction of the combine harvester made further use of the mill unprofitable. The mill was closed.

The remaining mill wheels fell into disrepair. In 1979, Mr. Fritz Gordes Sr. had a new mill wheel built in order to produce electricity for his own use with a new gearbox and a new generator. An output of 9 kWh was achieved. In 1983, the Alte Kornmühle in Ramsbeck was listed as a historical monument.

With its three mill wheels and the still well-preserved grinding stand, which can be restored in its essential parts, it is a unique cultural asset in NRW that is particularly worthy of protection. This is the result of studies by the Münster Chamber of Agriculture, among others. Dr. Ulrike Peyrer's dissertation (Wassernutzung im Hochsauerlandkreis; Möglichkeiten der Inwertsetzung der Wasserkraftanlagen im Rahmen einer touristischen Route; zugl. Münster Univ., Dis., 1993) highlights the Ramsbeck mill. Following the acquisition of the mill by the new owners - Thekla Meeder and Friedrich Gordes - the original goal of restoring the mill and making it accessible to the public could be pursued again.

Together with the "Alte Kornmühle Ramsbeck e.V." association, a new concept for the use of the mill was developed and presented to the monument authorities. With funding from the municipality of Bestwig and a 50% share of the costs from the mill association, the weir system, which regulates the water inflow to the mill via the mill race, was renewed in 2004. A new fish ladder was also installed. On the ten-year-old mill wheel, it became necessary to replace the now rotten oak boards of the inner wheel. (Tongue and groove technique, wood moisture content over 30%).

Hiking trail at the mill: In 2004, the mill association made initial efforts to make the hiking trail behind the mill accessible again. We removed an old feeding trough from the mill barn, placed it next to the newly paved path to the mill wheel and planted plants. The water outlet at the mill wheel was enclosed with a new fence. Loose stones and gaps in the mortar led to the necessary decision to rebuild the entire water outlet. It was important to take account of the constant moisture and changing weather conditions by using suitable building materials. Mining trail >>

Mill tour:
A tour of the mill is possible by telephone appointment. Appointments can be made by calling 0151-65984268.

Contact:
0151-65984268 (guided tours)
0231-431940 (1st chairman)
0170-1959603 (2nd chairman)