German Mill Day

The annual Mill Day is organized by the regional associations of the German Society for Mill Science and Conservation (DGM). Traditionally on Whit Monday, numerous historic mills in Brandenburg also invite visitors to take a tour.

The variety of open mills ranges from restored windmills to water mills, horse mills and motorized mills, some of which are still in working order. Dedicated people who look after the mills share their stories and explain how they work. Some mills are even presented in action. Small village festivals are also held at some of the participating mills.

Ansgar Vennemann, who looks after the Lechtingen windmill and was inspired by the Dutch Mill Day, came up with the idea for the Mill Day. The first Mill Day took place in 1987 at the Lechtingen windmill. The "Lower Saxony" Mill Day was launched in 1990, followed by the first "German" Mill Day in 1994. The District Mill Day on the Westphalian Mill Route in the Minden-Lübbecke district, held annually in August, is also regarded as a forerunner.

The number of participating mills has risen sharply over the years: At the turn of the millennium there were already around 1000 mills nationwide, and in 2012 there were almost 1100. Visitor numbers are in the hundreds of thousands.