"The Middle Mill" Loenen

Paper factory De Middelste Molen near Loenen on the Veluwe in Gelderland. This place has been producing paper using hydropower since 1622. The paper mill is located by the Loenense brook, and since 1868 also at the Apeldoorn canal which was dug at that time. The brook is channeled under the canal. For centuries, there were two Middelste Mills, but in 1886 both burned down to the ground. A year later, the current factory was built, which remained the property of the lord of the nearby castle Ter Horst until 1927. Until 1960, De Middelste Molen produced various types of paper in a traditional way, although not all of it was still produced using hydropower. When the factory was shut down for economic reasons, decay set in quickly. However, paper manufacturers from the region jointly purchased the 19th-century factory building in 1991 to preserve it for future generations. The factory was placed in a foundation and partially restored. In 1991, the first sheets of paper rolled off the machine again. De Middelste Molen is the only operational paper factory in the Netherlands still powered by hydropower. The production of paper takes place both mechanically and manually. The production process has changed little in almost 400 years. Since 2001, the factory has officially been a working museum and is part of the industrial heritage. With the guidance of monument preservation, an ambitious plan has been developed for a complete restoration.
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