Balkhauser Kotten, Industrial heritage museum in Solingen, Germany.

Balkhauser Kotten is a grinding mill on the Wupper River that still shows how the craft worked long ago. The building preserves the machines and equipment that craftspeople used centuries ago to sharpen tools.

A concession to build the Balkhauser Kotten was granted in 1504, according to Solingen city historian Heinz Rosenthal. In 1612 it was enlarged from a single grinding mill into a double mill with an inner Kotten on the Wupper; the present two-storey main building followed in 1830. More than 70 grinders still used it in the 19th century, but steam grinding works drew the trade away, and after 1945 work moved into factories. A voluntary association turned it into a grinding museum in 1962; a 1969 fire destroyed the building, which was rebuilt true to the original by 1972.

The place tells of the grinding craft tradition along the river that has been part of daily life in Solingen for generations. Visitors can see directly how this work shaped the region and what skills people passed down over time.

Access is easy to find since the mill sits directly on the river and is well-connected from town. Wearing comfortable shoes is wise, as some parts of the grounds may be uneven and the interior is tight with historical machines.

The Balkhauser Kotten was rebuilt true to the original after a fire in 1969, and in 2002 its upper ditch was restored so the waterwheel could turn again. In July 2021 the Wupper rose to 1.70 metres inside the building, and reopening after repairs is expected around the end of 2025.