The Lindenmills (Diest)

The fact that this mill stands here is thanks to the initiative of city archivist Van der Linden. In his honor, the mill was named after him. Van der Linden has always committed himself to the beauty of nature and cities. Just after World War II, this was often associated with the restoration or preservation of the appearance from the past. A mill was certainly the ideal subject for this. The Linden Mill originally stood in Schaffen, on the Doodsberg. It dates back to 1742. In 1887, it was moved to Mierenberg in Assent. The mill operated there until 1953. Six years later, the city purchased the mill and it was rebuilt on the city walls. Today, the mill belongs to the heritage of the Provincial Domain Halve Maan, which, in collaboration with the association 'Living Mills', manages the monument and keeps it operational.

The Linden Mill is a unique specimen due to its mill housing, one of the largest in Flanders. It is a post or standard mill, named after the large post (post or standard) to which the entire mill housing is attached. The post also serves as a pivot to turn the mill into the wind (to sail). This is done with a kind of pulley around which a chain can be wound. Surrounding the mill are twelve wooden posts to which the chain can be attached, the so-called ‘kruipalen’.

Jan Rymenams