Tilting at Windmills

Weltevreden Mill, Domburg, Netherlands, built 1817 (personal photo)

There are three things that come to mind for most people when thinking of the Netherlands: tulips, dykes and windmills. For me, it's a toss up between tulips and windmills. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that May 11th is National Windmill Day in the Netherlands! Unfortunately, I won't be there to enjoy the festivities around the country, but it did make me curious about the history of windmills and the use of windmills today.

Although there don't seem to be any reliable documents, it's believed the first windmills were probably built by the Persians in the 7th century. These windmills were quite different from the windmills we know that were developed later in Europe. Persian windmills had spokes that were perpendicular to the ground. They were first used to power boats, but were later adapted for use on land.

This is a modern design similar to what might have been used in Persia in the 7th century.

Independently, Europeans developed the horizontal windmill in the late 12th century. They were mainly used for grinding grain or pumping water. The first style was a post mill, with a box shaped wooden body. These were used all throughout Europe for several hundred years and there are still a few existing from the 17th century.

Example of a post mill.

The tower mill was invented in the 15th century and perfected by the Dutch. This is the type that most of us are familiar with. Since most of the Netherlands lies below sea level, flooding has always been a problem for the country. Dykes were built to control the water, but this did not solve all of the problems. Polders, or low lying areas of land created by dykes, were full of water and causing more problems. Eventually, mills were used to pump the water out of the polders. The largest number of these forms of mills that are still standing are near the village of Kinderdijk.

Watermills at Kinderdijk

Today windmills are a part of a growing new form of alternative energy. Some of the new and sleeker windmills can be found throughout Western Pennsylvania. According to the Department of Energy, the United States has a wind power capacity of just over 60,000 megawatts (Pennsylvania produces 1,340 MW). However, in the European Union, they produce over 100,000 MW (the largest producer is Germany at over 31,000 MW). They also have, what are known as, offshore wind farms. These mills take advantage of the winds created by the oceans. However, they are much more expensive than ones operated on land.

Wind turbines, Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania (personal photo)

Windmills are still very much a part of the Dutch culture, which is why they have a special day set aside to celebrate them. Many of them are open to the public for tours. And there are even windmills where you can spend the night! So, if you ever have a chance to go to the Netherlands make sure you take the time to visit some windmills. They are amazing! (And don't forget to check out the library's collection of travel guides).

-- Post by Tracy