Wir freuen uns, berichten zu können, dass der Mühlenverein Labbus die Finanzierung für die erste Bauphase der Restaurierung nun sichergestellt hat und dass wir bald mit den Restaurierungsarbeiten beginnen werden. Weitere Informationen.
(For English text, see below)
Auf diesen Seiten haben wir einige historische und technische Informationen zur Mühle zusamengestellt. Diese Website soll auch dazu dienen, Informationen über den Fortschritt der Restaurierungsmaßnahmen sowie über die Aktivitäten und Veranstaltungen des Mühlenvereins zu vermitteln. Die Informationen und Bilder, die wir hier veröffentlichen, haben wir aus unterschiedlichen Quellen zusammengetragen. Wir freuen uns über Beiträge mit weiteren historischen Einzelheiten, aber auch über Korrekturen und Anregungen. Die Website wird in deutscher und englischer Sprache präsentiert, um auch ausländische Mühleninteressierte anzusprechen.
The Windmill in Labbus was built in 1851 near Sulingen in Lower Saxony, North Germany. This unique protected building embodies the technical and (agri)cultural heritage of this primarily rural region. The mill was in operation until 1987 and the original equipment and tools are all present and in part operational. Significant restoration works are now planned to enable the sails and millstones to operate under wind power once again.
The Association for the Promotion and Preservation of the Windmill in Labbus was founded in 2007. The purpose of the society, which is a registered charity, is to preserve, restore, maintain and promote the protected windmill in Labbus and to make it accessible to the public as a cultural heritage building. This will be achieved through voluntary restoration work; by seeking financing through sponsorship, public funding, membership fees and donations; and by organising activities such as open days, guided tours etc. to give visitors an insight into the culturally and historically significant craft of milling.
In the last ten years, the Mill Association has carried out work in a number of areas to secure the mill and make it accessible to the public. All work to date has been funded by private donations and membership fees. We carry out regular tours of the mill for interested parties. The mill is also used for weddings in cooperation with the Registry Office in Sulingen. The Mill Association organises a popular annual festival and family day to coincide with the National Mills Day in Germany, which is attended by thousands of people.
In 2013 / 2014 the sails and cap roof of the mill had to be removed due to safety concerns as a result of weathering to the key support beams of the structure. These must now be restored and replaced, along with the rebuilding of the gallery to make the windmill operational once more. According to a detailled survey, the cost of this restoration work will be in the region of €240,000.
Because the remainder of the structure and milling equipment are in relatively good condition, the planned reconstruction of the cap roof, sails and gallery will make the mill fully operational once more. Our team of qualified millers will operate the mill on a regular basis and continue to carry out tours, mill days and other activities
The Mill Association plans to carry out and fund the restoration work in a series of project steps using a combination of public funding and private donations. We call on companies and individuals to support us in this project by contributing to our restoration fund.
Since January 2010 it is possible to get married in the windmill in a specially decorated room on the gallery level. Please contact us for further information.
On these pages you will find much historical and technical information about the mill. We will also use this website to communicate information about the progress of the restoration work as well as upcoming activities and events. The information in these pages has been gathered from a number of sources. We would be delighted to receive any corrections, suggestions or additional detail. The website is maintained in German and English. In most cases, you will find the English text in the lower half of the page.