Point 16 - Kappler Mill

Kappler Mill

There has been a grist mill on this site since 1580, whose water wheel was powered by water from the Spree.

There were three other mills in Schirgiswalde downstream on the Spree: the Papiermühle (paper mill), the Stadtmühle and the Neue Mühle (latterly called the Kloß-Mühle, after its owner, the Kloß family). The latter two were also grinding mills in which the grain of the surrounding farmers was processed.

The original grinding mill of the Kappler mill was later extended to include a sawmill and a wood grinding shop to supply the Schirgiswald paper mill. However, these extensions burned down in 1928. This also put an end to the operation of the mill.

The name of the mill refers to a former tenant. A bakery was also set up in the mill at the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to the miller, other families usually lived here.

For almost the entire 20th century, the mill was a plastered building with a boarded upper floor on the outside. In 1995, restoration work revealed timber frames under the plaster on the ground floor, which were subsequently reconstructed and renewed together with the half-timbering on the upper floor.