History of the structure

The windmill was built at the end of 19th century. There is no information about the then owner, the miller, or its original furnishings. In the past it was located next to a brickyard, the last remnants of which in the form of chimneys were removed in 1973. Currently, the surroundings of the windmill serve as municipal recreational areas. The building served its original function until 1939, after which it was adapted for catering purposes in the late 1960s. From this period comes the extension housing the former storage rooms and the terrace that was made on its roof. The most recent restoration works were carried out in the 1980s. The windmill does not have blades, which were dismantled in 1991 due to poor technical condition. Currently it is not in use.

Description of the structure

It is situated in the south-eastern part of the town, on the western side of Krakowska Street, about 50 m from the road leading to the centre of Grodków, on a small rise. Built of brick, plastered only on the inside. The interiors are covered with ceilings composed of inter-beam slabs of ceramic brick and steel beams - all reinforced. The top is crowned with an originally rotating copula-shaped capital covered with wood shingles. The timber-framed roof rests on a steel rail embedded in the top edge of the building’s walls - once set in the direction of the wind by a turnstile located at the top floor level. Internal communication is possible by means of reinforced concrete fan stairs and a ladder (to the 3rd floor level). The building is based on a circular plan with a diameter of 7.60 m. It is a cylindrical building with walls narrowing towards the top, three-storied with a basement. The elevations have modest architectural details and are divided by brick inter-storey cornices. The window openings are closed with a segmental arch, as are the two entrances leading to the interior. The exterior of the building is partly surrounded by a terrace added during its adaptation to new functions, and a cellar underneath. Elements of historical equipment have survived in the windmill: the wing rampart, the brake wheel with a radial-spoke structure, and the cog wheel. Originally it had blades fastened with sheets on one side and metal shutters on the other.

Visitor access: The monument can be viewed from the outside.

Author: Katarzyna Latocha, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Opole, 07-05-2018

Bibliography

• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, vol. VII: Województwo opolskie, z. 3: powiat grodkowski, ed. T. Chrzanowski and M. Kornecki, Warsaw 1964, p. 25.
• Record sheet of monuments of architecture and construction. Wiatrak wieżowy-holenderski, compiled by Janusz Gubański, 1996.
• Wesołowska H., Młynarstwo wiejskie Opolszczyzny od XVIII do XX wieku, Opole 1969.