German Mill Day Bockwindmühle Winsen (Aller) 2026

Post Mill — Technical Heritage of the Heath

The Bockwindmühle Winsen (Aller) is one of the characteristic technical monuments of the Lower Saxony heath landscape. For centuries, post mills were the standard type of windmill in the North German Plain: mounted on a central post (Bock), the entire mill house could be turned into the wind. In Winsen (Aller), this mill has been preserved and is now a living technical museum.

German Mill Day — Nationwide Day of Action

The German Mill Day has been held annually on Whit Monday since 1994. Nationwide, over 1,000 mill associations, mill owners, and local history societies open their historic wind, water, and post mills to the public. The aim is to preserve technical heritage and raise awareness for a piece of history that is disappearing from public consciousness in many regions. In 2026, Whit Monday falls on May 25.

Family Festival Around the Mill

In Winsen (Aller), the Mill Day becomes a true family festival: guided tours of the mill, explanations of historical grinding technology, millstone demonstrations, catering with coffee and cake, often also mill bread and regional pastries. For children, there are activity stations: games about grain and flour, simple craft activities, exploration tours through the old mill house.

Meeting Point for Local History Enthusiasts

The Mill Day brings together not only families but also local history enthusiasts and mill aficionados from across the district. Members of other mill associations visit each other, chat about restoration progress, and share their knowledge of mill technology. This creates a vibrant network for the preservation of this important technical heritage that extends beyond the day of action.