In the Czech Republic, 79 windmills have been preserved

Windmill in Třebíč

Horní Dubenky (Jihlava Region) - Windmills in the Czech Republic have survived in 79 locations, some only partially. In the Vysočina region, two buildings in Třebíč and Budišov remind us of this ancient method of harnessing wind energy; both monuments are currently inaccessible. Throughout the country, 14 windmills' interiors can be visited, mainly in Moravia. Visitors can learn more at the exhibition "The Charm of Windmills" in the mill in Horní Dubenky in the Jihlava Region, which will last until mid-October.
    The exhibition in the granary of the former water mill in Horní Dubenky was presented today by its author Jan Doubek, who is the chairman of the Windmills section at the Circle of Friends of the Technical Museum in Brno.
    "Windmills were built where there was a long distance to a watercourse," said Doubek. There are approximately 1,000 such locations recorded in the country, with 700 in Moravia. The first documented windmill was in Prague's Strahov in 1277. The last functioning device was built in the 1930s in Spálov near Nový Jičín. Masonry windmills were often later transformed into recreational cottages. "Wooden ones decayed faster, but those that remained standing were not suitable for recreation, and therefore they were preserved completely, including their interior equipment," Doubek noted.
    Much more widespread water mills have several centuries longer history in the Czech Republic. Seventy years ago, about 10,000 of them were still in operation. Water mills were more efficient and ground finer flour. For this reason, windmills later mainly processed grain for livestock, and in some places, they were also used for grinding bones. In Třebíč, spruce bark was ground into tannin for local tanners.
    Both windmills in the Vysočina region are made of masonry and date back to the first half of the 19th century. "The mill in Třebíč has been restored on the outside; the interior is currently unused," described Doubek. The Budišov mill has only partially survived. "It is unique in its construction. Its owner is interested in making it accessible and is also considering using it as a lookout tower," he added.
    The exhibition is located in a private milling museum. Among other things, it features a milling machine from the 1930s. The museum was established a few years ago and is visited by hundreds of people each season.