Windmühle Bavenhausen, Historic windmill in Kalletal, Germany

Windmühle Bavenhausen is a wooden structure with rotating blades located in Kalletal. The building displays traditional construction methods from earlier times and is maintained as a standing monument.

Carpenter Friedrich Wilhelm Freitag built the mill on the Windberg in 1853 and ran it as miller himself. Four generations of the Freitag family milled here until operations stopped in 1948, when the sails and wind rose were removed. The municipality of Bavenhausen bought the empty building in 1954 and installed a water tank inside for the local supply. Since 1968 the mill has carried sails again, financed by private donations and public funds; the 1969 territorial reform transferred it to Kalletal.

The windmill shows how people once processed grain and the skills required for that work. It tells the story of farming life in this region and how millers lived and worked in earlier times.

The mill stands on the Windberg hill above Bavenhausen, surrounded by protected hillside grassland; the site is reached on foot, so sturdy shoes help on the slope. Inside, the mill's levels are connected by steep wooden stairs and the floors are uneven. Visits are possible from April to October on Sundays and public holidays from 2 to 5 pm, with guided tours on request.

The mill has not been operational since 1948, when the sails and wind rose were removed; the blades seen today date from 1968 and were financed by private donations and public funds. A new sail cross was fitted in 2023.