Windmühlenstumpf

The Windmills stump stands in the Waldemeine district, a kilometre south of Wüsten village centre in Bad Salzuflen. Built of rough stone, the cylindrical tower rises from the ground and is entered through a plain metal door topped by a small window. The address once read Unterwüsten Nr. 62 but became Auf der Heide 79 after street names were introduced. The mill was begun in 1738 as a water-powered grain mill by Johan Henrich Jungeblut. In 1866 a windmill was added so the same owner could grind grain even when the nearby brook ran low. The windmill’s rotating cap sat on the stone tower and drove the millstones below by shaft. Such combined wind-water mills are rare in Germany, and only five similar examples survive in the region today. Today only the stone shell remains after the wooden cap and sails were removed in 1978. Experts recognise the stump as a protected monument because it shows how wind and water power once worked side by side. The site still illustrates the unusual partnership of two energy sources under one roof, a feature unique in the area.