Neue Mühle, Technology museum in Erfurt, Germany
Neue Mühle is a functioning mill and museum in Erfurt alongside the Breitstrom branch of the Gera River. The building houses a working watermill with an undershot Zuppinger wheel and displays traditional milling equipment across multiple floors including bucket elevators and roller mills.
The site originated in 1259 when it was first documented as Martinsmühle. The current structure was rebuilt in 1737 following a fire that destroyed both the mill and 70 nearby houses.
The site reveals how millers once worked and how water power shaped daily life in the city. The preserved machinery and operating mill demonstrate traditional grain processing as visitors experience it firsthand.
The location sits along the riverbank and is easy to reach, though parking in the immediate area is limited. Visits work best during warmer months when water levels support the mill running at full capacity.
This is the last functioning mill of approximately 60 that once operated in Erfurt, making it a rare example of how the city used water power. More surprising is the power generation system installed in 1996 that feeds excess electricity back into the city grid.
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