Festival attendees boldly endure windy and inclement conditions on Mühlenberg
Blowed a Gale, Still a Great Turnout at Woldegk's Mill Day
When it comes to Woldegk's mills, a bit of wind is a good thing! The wind blew strong on Whit Monday for the annual Mill Day, yet folks still swooped in, despite a bit of rain showers. Things didn't get as stormy as they did on the Mill Night on Sunday, but the clouds and occasional sun made it quite the spectacle.
Mayor Tony Hyna and Jan Bauditz, chairman of the Mill Association MV, were there to officially kick off the festivities, along with the grand opening of the traveling exhibit "Winds of Change" at the museum mill. This exhibit showcases the cultural history of wind power in Germany and connects the past to the present with modern wind turbines.
The power of wind and water has been harnessed for millennia, according to the exhibit, with an astounding 20,000 windmills in Germany around 1880. The same goes for our current times, with similar numbers of wind turbines today. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern alone, there were estimated to be at least 3,200 mill sites at one point, as per Jan Bauditz. The Mill Association MV currently protects 240 of these mills under monument preservation.
Woldegk is famous for its windmills, with five out of the seven original ones still standing tall. This is quite a unique treasure, as noted by exhibition creators, Stefan Wenzel and Christine Falken-Großer. Mill Warden, Toralf Pfeiffer, shared his enthusiasm for all things mills, having held the position for four years. Although the large sail-equipped mills weren't spinning during the Mill Day for safety reasons, visitors could still enjoy them on selected days throughout the year.
The traveling exhibit, "Winds of Change," remained in the museum mill until the end of summer, offering an engaging festival program that included performances by Woldegk's school choir, Mühlhof Schalmei musicians, and special guest Olaf Berger. A magical clown show, vintage tractor parade, and a treasure trove of mill history made for an unforgettable Mill Day in Woldegk.
Despite the strong winds on Whit Monday, the annual Mill Day in Woldegk still attracted a great turnout, showcasing a lifestyle centered around home-and-garden traditions and the importance of wind power. The traveling exhibit "Winds of Change" at the museum mill offered insights into this history, highlighting the connections between Germany's past and present wind power experiences.
