Lüneburg Ratsmühle

In 1332, the sovereign Ratsmühle came into the possession of the Mölen council family and, since the late 15th century, belonged to the city of Lüneburg itself. Over the centuries, a large and varied mill enterprise developed here, to which two grain mills and another "Wasserkunst "Belonged. In addition, there were other uses as Walk, Loh and Beutlermühle, as well as paper and oil and grinding mill. From here, three water wheels set Sonnin's linkage in motion: a beam linkage, named after its master builder Sonnin, who powered the brine pumps in the saline over a kilometer away. From 1750 to 1850 it filled the city with its clatter. A model of the beam linkage can be studied in the German Salt Museum. Today, the grinding operation in the buildings of the Ratsmühle dating back to the 16th century is shut down. Hydropower is still used to generate electricity.

In the vicinity of the time-honored St. Johannis Church and in the shadow of the Lüneburg Water Tower is one of the most important architectural ensembles of the Niedersächsische Mühlenstraße: the Lüneburger Ratsmühle, which looks directly onto the rushing Ilmenau.
Once belonged to the already mentioned in 1319 as mill site entire mill complex as the other two water-driven flour mills of the city, Abtsmühle and Lüner mill, the property of the country's rule. In 1332, the dukes Otto and Wilhelm bought the mayor of Lüneburg, Albert van der Molen, for the Ratsmühle for 500 marks of "soldered silver". His sons Ditmer and Johann later sold her as a hereditary fief. From 1407, the entrustment was transferred to the city council of Lüneburg, thereby ensuring the supply of grain. Over the course of the following centuries, a flourishing mill enterprise developed, which included two grain mills and other uses as a Walk, Loh and Beutlermühle and as a paper, oil and grinding mill. From 1782 on, three water wheels set in motion a beam linkage named after its designer, the Hamburg master builder and later city master builder Lüneburg Ernst Georg Sonnin (1713-1794). After that, a total of twelve wheels made it possible to hear the clatter of the mill all over the city until the middle of the 19th century. After disassembly still shows a model of the beam linkage in the German Salt Museum, the function.
Source:
quadratlueneburg.de/ratsmuehle-getreide.html

The Ratsmühle in Lüneburg, with the Ilmenau in the foreground, is always a nice photo motif. Also a good place to watch (water) birds.