Historical Mill in Park Sanssouci

A stone's throw from Sanssouci Castle is the most famous Dutch windmill in Germany. Grain has been ground again by its wind power for several years now, and it's organic quality!

The history of the mill site begins in 1738. Miller Johann Wilhelm Grävenitz began operating a newly built windmill. Five decades later, from 1787 to 1791, it was replaced by a larger gallery Dutch mill supported by King Frederick William II. It gained milling clients from the neighbouring Bornstedt. Whether grain for the bread of the royal table was also milled here is not known, but Frederick II's statement is: "The mill is an ornament for the castle." It became famous through a legend that says the noise of the mill disturbed Frederick II so he demanded the millers rebuild the mill in another location. But the Grävenitz mill threatened to sue before the Superior Court and Friedrich acquiesced.

The blades continued turning until 1858 and in 1861 it was declared a monument. The mill burned down in the last days of the war in 1945. In 1983, reconstruction began and in 1993 the blades began turning again. The Dutch windmill is now a technical museum which houses a permanent exhibition about the history of the historical mill and other mill-related subjects.

The gallery has a view of Sanssouci park.