International Wind- and Watermill Museum, Open-air mill museum in Gifhorn, Germany
The International Wind and Watermill Museum is an open-air museum in Gifhorn featuring 16 full-size working mills from 12 countries spread across a 16-hectare site. An indoor hall displays around 50 miniature mill models from around the world.
The museum was founded in 1980 when collector Horst Wrobel converted his private collection from Suhlendorf into a public institution with district support. The collection has grown steadily since then, attracting visitors interested in historical mills and traditional crafts.
The village square, open to the public without a ticket since 2023, groups three timber-framed houses: the Müllerhaus (1983), the Brothaus (1985) with two wood-fired stone ovens where bread and cakes are baked and sold, and the Trachtenhaus (1990) with an old Backstube. A roughly 30-metre pole, the International Mill Tree, carries the coats of arms of every country represented by a mill on the site.
The site is best explored on foot since the mills are spread across the entire grounds and require time to see properly. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for rain, as it is an open-air venue.
The 30-metre "International Mill Tree" on the village square carries the coats of arms of every country represented by a mill on the site, along with wood carvings of milling motifs. Since 2023 the square, with its three timber-framed houses, has been open to the public without a ticket.
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