Heumühle, Medieval mill in Wieden district, Austria
Heumühle is a former water mill in Vienna's 4th district, now standing in the inner courtyard of the residential building at Schönbrunner Straße 2. The building, called Steinmühle until the 17th century, was rebuilt in 1818 in a neo-Gothic style and is a protected monument.
A mill channel was dug in the Wien valley in the 13th century, and the Steinmühle, later Heumühle, was first recorded in 1326 as part of the Bürgerspital estate. The present building dates from the 14th century; after a fire around 1528 it passed to the Diocese of Vienna in 1533 under Ferdinand I. Milling continued until 1856, when Vienna bought the water rights for 30,000 gulden and filled in the channel.
The name Heumühle (hay mill) replaced Steinmühle only in the 17th century; the nearby Heumühlgasse keeps it alive, while Bärenmühldurchgang and Schleifmühlgasse recall the two mills demolished after 1856. Since its renovation the building serves as a showroom for an office furniture company, and a passage open during the day lets visitors into the courtyard.
The mill stands in the inner courtyard of the residential building at Schönbrunner Straße 2, not on the street itself. A passage open during the day leads from the street into the courtyard, making the building publicly reachable again after its renovation. Look for the Heumühlgasse nearby, which recalls the mill.
The building ranks among Vienna's oldest non-religious structures and has retained its original form despite centuries of urban change. This continuity makes it a rare example of early urban architecture.
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