"The Langendonk Mill was built on the left (Gelderland) bank of the Niers, east of Grefrath-Vinkrath, on a donk (small hillock in the middle of marshland). It is located in a section of the Niers lowlands designated as the "Grasheide and Mühlhausener Benden" nature reserve. It presumably once belonged to Haus Langendonk, a knight's seat located about 50 meters south of the mill. According to topographical maps, Haus Langendonk disappeared between 1844 (Prussian original survey) and 1892 (Prussian re-survey). Only the remains of walls indicate the former location (Kremers 1992, p. 54).
History
According to the first documented reference, Duke Reinald of Guelders leased the sovereign Langendonk Mill in 1353, presumably on a hereditary lease to Godert of Wachtendonk, as the mill remained in the possession of the lord. It was owned by this family until around 1700 (de.wikipedia.org, Langendonker Mühle). From this time on, it no longer belonged to the Langendonk family. The oil and grain mill was subject to the mill ban for the Grefrath area until the French period (Vogt 1998, p. 527ff). Between 1770 and 1841, it was also used as a tobacco mill for the snuff production of its Krefeld owner, the merchant Abraham von der Westen (Vogt 1998, p. 529). In the 19th century, however, it again ground and pounded grain and linseed. It was powered by two undershot, covered water wheels, which were reinforced from 1870 onwards with an additional 8 hp steam engine (Vogt 1998, p. 529). According to Sommer (1991, p. 209), in 1870 it had a total of two grinding mills and two oil presses.
The Langendonker Mill is one of many other mills whose waterwheels were powered by the Niers River. As early as the 18th century, there were repeated disputes between mill owners over water use and the right to dam water (Vogt 1998, p. 529). Official regulations, such as the Niers Regulations introduced in 1769, were ultimately unsuccessful, as the owner of the Langendonker Mill, among others, attempted to circumvent the official regulations on the use of hydropower (Kremers 1992, p. 57). The now-defunct branch of the Niers, "the old Fleuth," caused particular problems for the Langendonker Mill. It branched off from the Niers above the mill and flowed back into it below. The Fleuth repeatedly "dug out" the water from the Langendonker Mill, making milling impossible.
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