An operational windmill in an open-air museum as a conservation challenge: Lessons from projects recently implemented in Poland

Abstract

The article discusses the methods of protecting historic windmills and recognising them as valuable objects of industrial heritage. Therefore, examples of attempts to restore windmills as working mills after 2010 are discussed. Translocation combined with comprehensive renovation can be an effective and desirable method of conservation for historic windmills with a wooden structure, as it enables the restitution of these facilities as operating mills. However, one should be aware of the risks associated with this type of activity: primarily the risk of losing the historic, original substance of the mill and changing its landscape context. An important problem is the safety of the dynamic exhibition and the lack of professionals – millers specialised in the field of drive mills, who would be able to not only set up the technological process but also maintain the machines included in it on an ongoing basis. The following part of the article discusses 12 examples of attempts to restart historic windmills. These examples are divided into two categories of objects: windmills with an alternative, modern electric drive; windmills with the ability to work using only wind power. The analysed examples of windmill conservation and reactivation provide the basis for formulating lessons for future projects in Poland and abroad.

Keywords

• windmill
• milling technology
• reactivation
• industrial heritage conservation