History

The windmill in Żółkiewka was built in 1867 in the area of the Wzgórza Strzegomskie (the Strzegomskie Hills), approx. 1 km to the west of Strzegom, taking advantage of the natural environmental conditions. With time, the surrounding areas, rich in granite deposits, became a place of extraction of this raw material, and quarries substituted farmland. The windmill operated until ca. 1920. Subsequently, the milling equipment was removed and the building was turned into residential apartments.

Description

The rotating mechanisms of the windmills enabled their orientation in the wind direction. In the case of wooden windmills (referred to as “koźlaki” and “paltraki”), the entire windmill structure had to be turned. Brick and stone Dutch-type windmills had an improved construction: the only rotating part was the shaft in which blades were installed. In Żółkiewka, the remains of the original mechanisms have been preserved in the windmill: a rotating shaft head resting on a wooden gear wheel, a winch used to rotate the head, the head of the blade shaft, blade spars (without flashing), as well as incomplete: driving, transmission, and working mechanisms. The milling devices have not been preserved. The oval windmill body is surrounded by a two-storeyed residential building erected on a rectangular floor plan.

Limited access to the historic monument. The structure — which is private property — is located within the area of an operating granite quarry. It is well-visible from the Strzegom-Jelenia Góra road, however, in order to visit it inside, it is necessary to contact the owner first.

compiled by Krzysztof Czartoryski, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Wroclaw, 08-08-2014.

Bibliography

• Karta ewidencyjna, Żółkiewka. Wiatrak wieżowy - holender, oprac. Januszewski Stanisław, 1992, Archiwum Narodowego Instytutu Dziedzictwa