Britzer Mill
Who today still thinks about how bread actually ends up on the counter of the bakery or at the bread counter of the discounter? Or where does the flour come from with which the bread is baked? The German word »Mehl«, or flour, comes from »mahlen«, or to mill, and was usually ground in a mill.
How exactly this works can be seen at the Britzer Mill, which used the power of the wind to turn grain into flour between 1865 and 1946. In the meantime the windmill was replaced by a diesel engine; today the Britzer Mill is one of the few still “working” mills in Berlin.
Since the German Federal Garden Show in 1985, the mill wheels have again been turning unhurriedly in the wind; grain of controlled organic origin is ground and the flour obtained is used to bake several types of tasty bread. They are sold during the season by members of Britzer Müllerei e.V., the Britzer Milling Association, every Friday and Saturday between 11 PM and 4 PM at the “Brotstube”, or bread shop, on the property.
Verein Britzer Müllerei e.V. together with Grün Berlin GmbH has taken over the supervision of the Britzer Mill. Most members of the association are millers who have learned the miller’s trade according to the Dutch model within the framework of a two-year hobby training that entitles them to operate the mill. The association has made it its duty to maintain and care for the Britzer Mill and to make it accessible to the public through guided tours.
The Britzer Mill belongs to the so-called Gallery Dutch Mills and as such has a circumferential balcony from which its 12 metre long wings can be operated and maintained.
Its twelve-sided structure is 20 metres high and contains two grinding gears. The Britzer Mill, which has been under monumental protection since 1955 due to its rare design, was last restored in 1985 as part of the German Federal Garden Show. The adjoining miller’s house, which today houses a restaurant with a rustic ambience, was also rebuilt in 1984 according to original plans.
The Britzer Mill is situated to the north of the Britzer Garden, embedded in green fruit tree meadows, and invites its visitors to relax in the rare postcard idyll.