City corn mill of Hardenberg
The Oelemölle is an octagonal, wooden tower mill with the original function of corn mill. The octagon is thatched and built on a stone base. The roof is also thatched. The sails have a span of 24 meters.
The date 1533 inscribed in the thatch cannot refer to this mill, the construction is much too young for that. It probably refers to an old post mill, which used to be here. The mill itself probably dates from 1870, this date is also inscribed on the upper shaft of the mill.
In 1965, the current owner, the municipality of Hardenberg, bought the dilapidated mill back from a private individual and had it restored three years later. The mill was reopened at the end of 1969, when it was given the function of an exhibition space. This function was discontinued after the arrival of the De Voorveghter cultural center. The mill can be visited on days when the mill is in operation.
The restoration in the 1960s did not produce the desired result. A new restoration is needed to bring the whole back to its original proportions. The mill is still capable of grinding, but not in use as such. The current millers plan to have the mill work as a real corn mill again in the long term.