Wiesenmühle

Wiesenmühle (also known as Brauhaus Wiesenmühle Fulda) is a brewpub, hotel and event complex housed in one of the oldest surviving mill buildings in Germany, on an arm of the Fulda river west of Fulda's city centre in Hesse. The mill itself was first documented in 1337, when it was built by the Benedictine monastery of Fulda, and it operated as a grain mill with associated farm, sawmill, oil mill and fulling works for centuries. Milling ceased in 1960 and the site fell into disrepair; the city of Fulda bought the buildings and grounds in 1980 to save them from demolition, and after emergency stabilisation in 1985 a private operating company presented a concept in 1988 to preserve the mill as a Gasthausbrauerei (brewpub) with hotel, restaurant, conference rooms and beer garden. The renovated Wiesenmühle opened on 7 March 1990. Today the Wiesenmühle combines traditional brewing with hospitality: a rustic brewery with a large outdoor dining area, house-brewed beer, wood-fired pizza and German cuisine. It describes itself as a meeting place for young and old for over 30 years, standing for an inviting, supra-regional brewpub culture. The house brewery has repeatedly been awarded the DLG Gold Medal for brewpub breweries. Wiesenmühlenbier is brewed year-round, alongside seasonal beers including various bock beers, dark beer, wheat beer, pilsner and an Imperial Pale Ale. The building complex is a two-storey, plainly plastered half-timbered structure with a risalit, and it houses one of the largest still-operating water wheels in Europe. Installed during the 1990 renovation, the 55-tonne undershot Zuppinger wheel is 6.50 m wide and 6.92 m in diameter, turns about 4.5 times per minute and supplies the complex with up to 85 kW of electricity via a generator. Historic beams and stones bearing flood-level marks survive inside. The Wiesenmühle is classified as a cultural monument of significant historical value and is a member of the Hessian state association for the preservation and use of mills (HLM), taking part regularly in German Mill Day with events and guided tours.

The Wiesenmühle is one of the oldest mills on the Fulda and is regarded as one of the oldest surviving mill complexes in Germany. It was first mentioned in 1337 in a document of Prince-Abbot Heinrich VI von Hohenberg, having been built by the Benedictine monastery of Fulda. In 1367 the Fulda citizen Otto Müller was enfeoffed with the operation of the mill by Abbot Heinrich VII von Kranlucken. Chronicles record six floods in the 17th century: on 6 January 1628 the ground floor of the mill buildings was inundated and the interior destroyed, and on 15 January 1643 the mills along the Fulda were flooded again after snowmelt. By 1676 the complex, according to a surviving property description, consisted of a massive dwelling house with the milling works, four undershot mill runs and a cutting run, a stamping mill and a fulling mill; drive belts and shafts ran through the entire mill building up to the attic. The estate included farmland in the Fulda floodplain, vegetable plots, meadows and stables. In the second half of the 18th century a fish house was set up on the ground floor, owned by the monastery. In this period the Weissmühle served as a grain mill with an attached agricultural operation, sawmill, oil mill and cloth works for producing loden fabric. On 17 October 1803 the mill burned down completely after fat residues ignited. The mill and its outbuildings, still owned by the monastery of Fulda, were rebuilt in their present form, partly reusing older, still usable components in the interior. Until the mid-19th century the mill was managed by feudal tenants; afterwards it passed into private ownership. In 1894 it was sold for 53,000 marks to Wilhelm Rothaus, the tenant of the fulling mill. The last millers were Damian Mans from 1921 and, after him, his daughter Maria, who came into possession of the mill in 1953. In 1929 the mill wheels were replaced by a turbine installation that drove the milling works. In 1960 milling ceased and the property threatened to fall into ruin. In 1980 the city of Fulda bought the buildings and surrounding land to preserve the historic structure from demolition. In 1985 emergency stabilisation had to be carried out, costing the city 18,000 DM. In September 1988 a private operating company presented a concept for preserving the mill and using it as a brewpub with hotel operation, restaurant, conference rooms and beer garden, and on 7 March 1990 the renovated Wiesenmühle began operating with its brewery and hotel and restaurant facilities. The architect Wilfried Renner had developed the concept of a Gasthausbrauerei with hotel in 1986, and in 1987 he and his friend Willi Heurich of Fulda received the award from the city for the dilapidated, emergency-stabilised property. The undershot mill wheel installed during the 1990 renovation weighs 55 tonnes, is 6.50 metres wide and 6.92 metres in diameter. It consists of 44 buckets in the manner of a Zuppinger water wheel and was the largest water wheel of this type in Europe at the time of its construction. It turns 4.5 times per minute under normal water flow and supplies the building complex with up to 85 kilowatts of electricity via a generator. In recent years the house brewery has repeatedly been awarded the DLG Gold Medal for brewpub breweries. Wiesenmühlenbier is brewed year-round, and various seasonal beers are also offered, including various bock beers, dark beer, wheat beer, pils and an Imperial Pale Ale. Historic beams and stones with flood-level marks are partly preserved inside the mill building and the guest rooms. Today the Wiesenmühle is classified as a cultural monument of significant historical value. It is a member of the Hessian state association for the preservation and use of mills (HLM) e.V. and regularly takes part in German Mill Day with events and guided tours.

• 1990

  On 7 March the renovated Wiesenmühle begins operating with its brewery and hotel and restaurant facilities; a 55-tonne undershot Zuppinger water wheel is installed.

• 1988

  In September a private operating company presents a concept to preserve the mill as a brewpub with hotel, restaurant, conference rooms and beer garden.

• 1987

  Wilfried Renner and his friend Willi Heurich receive the award from the city for the dilapidated, emergency-stabilised property.

• 1986

  Architect Wilfried Renner develops the concept of a Gasthausbrauerei with hotel.

• 1985

  Emergency stabilisation of the building is carried out at a cost of 18,000 DM.

• 1980

  The city of Fulda buys the buildings and surrounding land to save the historic structure from demolition.

• 1960

  Milling ceases and the property threatens to fall into ruin.

• 1929

  The mill wheels are replaced by a turbine installation driving the milling works.

• 1921

  Damian Mans becomes the last miller; his daughter Maria takes possession in 1953.

• 1894

  The mill is sold for 53,000 marks to Wilhelm Rothaus, tenant of the fulling mill.

• 1803

  On 17 October the mill burns down completely after fat residues ignite; it is rebuilt in its present form.

• 1676

  A property description records a massive dwelling house with milling works, four undershot mill runs, a cutting run, a stamping mill and a fulling mill.

• 1643

  On 15 January the mills along the Fulda are flooded again after snowmelt.

• 1628

  On 6 January the ground floor of the mill buildings is flooded and the interior destroyed.

• The mill, built by the Benedictine monastery of Fulda, is first mentioned in a document of Prince-Abbot Heinrich VI von Hohenberg.

• Fulda citizen Otto Müller is enfeoffed with the operation of the mill by Abbot Heinrich VII von Kranlucken.

Rustic, tradition-rich brewpub and heritage mill offering house-brewed beer, German cuisine and hospitality in a historic Fulda landmark.

• Wiesenmühlenbier

  The year-round house beer brewed at the Wiesenmühle brewpub.

• Seasonal bock beers

  Various bock beers offered seasonally.

• Dunkelbier

  A dark beer among the seasonal offerings.

• Weizenbier

  A wheat beer among the seasonal offerings.

• Pils

  A pilsner among the seasonal offerings.

• Imperial Pale Ale

  An Imperial Pale Ale among the seasonal offerings.

• Wood-fired pizza

  Pizza baked in a wood-fired oven, served at the brewpub.

• German cuisine

  German dishes served in the restaurant.

1. 1Brauhaus Wiesenmühle Fulda – official websitewiesenmuehle.de
2. 2Wiesenmühle – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Wiesenmühle (Fulda) – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org