Inselmühle Norderney

The Inselmühle Norderney, known locally as Selden Rüst, stands on a flat dune at the junction of Marienstraße and Mühlenstraße. Built in 1862 as a single-storey gallery windmill, it was designed to supply flour to the island’s bakers. The mill replaced earlier hand- and horse-powered mills, which could not meet demand for the island’s growing population. At the time, Norderney had around two thousand residents and over two thousand eight hundred spa guests. The mill’s location was once outside the dike system, in an area prone to flooding. The mill is one of Norderney’s landmarks, alongside the cape and lighthouse. It is protected as a historic building and features a thatched roof, a rare detail on the island. The cap and sails turn using a windrose and gear mechanism, while a brake beam controls the rotation. In 1951, a storm damaged one sail, and a fire destroyed the mill soon after repairs. The fire brigade saved the structure, and the mill resumed operation within days thanks to insurance funds. Today, the mill houses a restaurant on the ground floor. Its thatched roof was renewed in 1990, and the sails were replaced in 1992. The cap’s main beam was restored in 2011 by a local carpenter. The mill serves as a stop on the Lower Saxon Mill Road and hosts occasional public demonstrations by volunteer mill inspectors. An exhibition on its history can be seen at the Conversationshaus near the Kurplatz.