Molen De Adriaan (동영상). 하를렘(Haarlem)

Molen De Adriaan (동영상).

하를렘(Haarlem). 네덜란드(Netherland)

molenadriaan.nl

The windmill was built by the French Hugenot Adriaan Dubois (we say Adriaan De Boois). He was a merchant from Amsterdam and he already owned a horse treadmill on the Koudenhorn across the river. He built his windmill on the foundation of the Goê Vrouwtoren (former defense tower of the city)
For the next 25 years he has the monopoly for grinding tuff into Roman cement ( a kind of limestone, as we find for instance in the Bavo), of which a waterproof mortar was made. Shells for the pottery industry were ground as well. Oak-bark was ground into oak-tan for the tannery, while tropical wood was ground to powder as a pigment for the dye-industry.

In 1802, after the end of the monopoly, he sold the mill. The new owner, Cornelis Kraan, converted the mill into a tobacco snuff mill. Snuff was highly popular in those days.  You can still see a sign showing the mill, high above his shop where he once sold the tobacco products in the Grote Houtstraat, number 12.

In 1865 De Adriaan was rebuilt as a grain mill and a steam engine was added, so that even when there was no wind, the mill could function. In 1920, the steam engine was replaced and the mill was driven by electricity. De Adriaan then had 5 (!) millstones: 3 operated by wind and 2 by electricity.

In 1925 the Vereniging “De Hollandsche Molen” (Association “The Dutch Windmill”) bought De Adriaan. It was the first acquisition of this association, which tries to preserve windmills and to keep them going.
on a Saturday afternoon, April 23rd, 1932, however, the mill burnt to the ground. Looking at the photographs it is clear that fire-fighting material was not sufficient to save the mill and it is clear that one of the sail stocks is already missing: after a heavy storm in December 1930 it had been removed.

It took 70 years before De Adriaan had been rebuilt. During that period many people tried to rebuild the mill. Eventually it was a document that was found again in the archives which did the job: in the past the City Council of Haarlem had promised to rebuild the mill. on April the 23rd 2002 it was a fact! Although quite capable of functioning as a grain mill, De Adriaan is mainly a demonstration mill.
on the ground floor (of the tower) is a shop where you can buy tickets, coffee, tea or bottled water and cookies, mill souvenirs, postcards and printed information about windmills and De Adriaan.

The 1st floor has educational and cultural functions. Here audio-visual presentations are running continuously: about Mills in general, or the Molen De Adriaan specifically. Always well received is the river Spaarne video. It’s as if you travel on the river and from the water looking at the most beautiful places and interesting buildings along the banks. The first floor can be rented for marriage ceremonies, dinner parties, business meetings, training sessions, including catering.

On the 2nd floor you can find a permanent exhibition about how windmills work in general and the different types of mills for grinding different materials, sawing wood and pumping up water from the polder.
There is also an exhibition on the 3rd floor with a large model of Molen De Adriaan (see if you can point out where are you in the windmill), showcases of the materials ground in De Adriaan and even a handmill where you can try to grind some grain manually yourself.

The 4th floor and upwards is the domain of the miller. Unforgettable is the time when you enter the platform: twelve meters above the river there is a spectacular view over the old town. on this floor you can also see short audiovisual presentations on trundling/wheeling (turning the mill into the wind), milling and changing the sails.

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