Ottmarsbocholt Windmill

From 1897 to 1971, the Feldmann family ran a milling business in the old mill with outbuildings.
Today the mill is only used as an apartment, but alongside the church tower it remains the most striking landmark in Ottmarsbocholt.

Really nice and nice to look at. It was worth a little detour.

The current building, built in the shape of a Dutch windmill, dates back to 1858. A strong storm caused the old mill to collapse, resulting in two people being buried underneath.
The history of the Ottmarsbocholt windmill can be traced back to the 16th century, where on June 30, 1549, Heinrich von Ascheberg was granted permission to "build a windmill on his property between his house Byink and Ottmarsbocholt".
In 1776 the Ottmarsbocholt mill fell victim to a thunderstorm, and just 11 years later the new mill was destroyed by flames. The mill is no stranger to misfortunes, with the most terrible incident occurring in May 1896 when a seven-year-old boy was killed by one of the windmill blades.

The mill caught fire again on December 12, 2013. Early in the morning the mill burned and the fire completely destroyed the dome of the mill.