Tag Archives: holland

Rotterdam Windmill

oostplein rotterdam windmill

An old image of the windmill on Oostplein in Rotterdam, Holland, c.1905.

Two old images of the De Noord windmill in Oostplein in the centre of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

windmill rotterdam

A photograph by the French photographer Delius of the windmill in central Rotterdam, c.1920.

The ‘De Noord’ mill was of the ‘Stellingmolen’ type and built in 1711. It stood at a height of more than 16 metres and was originally used for grinding malt. In the late 19th century it was used to mill grain for cattle feed, which continued until around 1917 when it went out of use. The mill survived the German bombing of this part of Rotterdam only to be burned down in a fire on the night of 27th July 1954. In recent years there has been talk of rebuilding the mill but nothing has come of this to date.

Stellingmolen are high windmills with a gallery. They were commonly built in urban areas in continental Europe. The design served two main purposes. It allowed the mill to capture enough wind and kept the sails and tail well above ground level. This, of course, largely eliminated the dangers associated with rotating blades.

Windmill and Dog Cart

The postman just delivered this rather fine postcard. It features an unidentified windmill and a dog taking some Dutch children for a ride in a cart! Mailed in 1953.

windmill dog cart holland

A 1950s postcard featuring a Dutch windmill and dog cart!

Another picture of a dog cart and windmill from our mills archive.

See also our page of old picture postcards of windmills in Holland.