One Page. Windmills in the Netherlands
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Windmills in the Netherlands
The windmills of the Netherlands are part of the cultural heritage in our country and are generally well to very well maintained. The Netherlands is therefore very proud of its windmills. They were used to saw wood, to produce wool, paint, and paper, or to make grain, mustard, or other products. The windmill is also used for water management.
The windmills are attractions for tourists. For collectors of stamps these are unique images to collect thematically.
There are still about 1100 windmills and 100 watermills in the Netherlands, which is a total of 1200 mills. The province of South Holland has the most mills (220 units) and the least (33 units) in Utrecht. Most water mills, mills that are moved by a water wheel, are located in the province of Limburg (56 units).
History of the Mill
The first windmills appear in the Netherlands in the course of the 13th century. These are standard mills where grain is ground into flour. Presumably it was not until the 15th century that mills were built to drain polders.
The oldest windmill type is the "standard mill".
After the Middle Ages, it was largely supplanted by a new and more perfect type:
the "Bovenkruier". Initially, the sails cross from the hood must be set to the wind on these mills.
Later on there will be mills with a tail construction. This allows the miller to operate the mill from below.
Highest 19th century
From the 17th century onwards, the Dutch windmill started a tremendous advance, culminating in the second half of the 19th century. There are then an estimated 9,000 windmills in the Netherlands.
Traditionally, grain is ground into flour with a mill. But all kinds of industrial applications were added, such as pressing oil, making paint or sawing tree trunks. Thanks to these industrial mills, areas such as the Zaanstreek and Amsterdam can develop into the first industrial centers in the Netherlands. In 1731 there were no fewer than 583 windmills in the Zaan region.
Polder mills
There are also the mills that drain the polders. Polder mills have also ensured that our country became larger: due to the draining of lakes and ponds, the Schermer, the Purmer and the Beemster were formed.
Present situation
Due to the invention of the steam engine, more and more mills disappeared from view. In the Netherlands (2020) there are still about 1000 active mills, which mainly run for tourists.
Kinderdijk
You can't get it more typically Dutch, the Kinderdijk-Elshout windmill complex: the 19 windmills that were built to drain the basin of the Alblasserwaard and thus provide dry feet for the inhabitants of the West Netherlands.
More Windmills on Dutch Postage Stamps
Meter cancels
Pictorial cancels
Personalized Postage Stamps
When a friend of mine looks out of her kitchen window, she sees above picture. A few years ago she had prepared two personalized postage stamps of the mills in her back garden.
These custom postage stamps cost more than the standard versions available at the post office, but they give your correspondance an extra 'personal' flavor.
