Mills have proven to be very important in the past of Amsterdam en the rest of The Netherlands. Because almost half of the country is below sealevel we always have to work hard to keep the water out (also see the page about dikes).

That is why The Netherlands has a special mill and pumping station policy. The last policy was from 1966 and it focused on keeping them in working order so that the profession of miller and mill maker could be preserved. They've have proven to be important to the landscape and for tourism in The Netherlands.

In 2010 the ministry of Education, Culture and Science decided that they needed to review that policy. More and more the historical value and locations are becoming important. That's why a review is important.

Mills started to lose their importance when steam-, diesel and electronic engines took over during the industrialisation period. The old policy caused that they were moved brick by brick to a place where they could stand freely in the wind to keep them in working order. But that also meant that they lost their identity. Often it is very much connected to the place where they were originally built.

In the new policy they want to give new importance to the original position and preserve that. Because... what is a mill if it doesn't get any wind to do it's work and what is a particular part of town when you remove its mill? All we know is that if it is surrounded by high rises then it is pretty much useless. But does that mean that we have to move the mill or change the surroundings? With a bit of city planning we can do more than we think we can.

On of those in built examples is in Amsterdam and it is called "The Otter" (see picture on top of this page). It is surrounded by high buildings and can't be provided with the much important south west wind to keep it working. A mill should be in the open and should be able to do what it is there for.

There are 8 mills in Amsterdam, of which some are brought back in working order. Only two can be visited at certain hours in the week:

• De Bloem (1787), out of order, cannot be visited (link)
• De Gooyer (1725), in working order, cannot be visited (link)
• De Otter (1631), out of order, cannot be visited (link)
• D'Admiraal (1792), in working order, can be visited on appointment (link)
• De Riekermolen (1636), in working order, cannot be visited (link)
• Molen van Sloten (parts of 1878, rebuilt in 1990), can be visited (also wheelchairs) (link)
• De 1100 Roe (1674), in working order, cannot be visited (link)
• De 1200 Roe (1632), in working order, cannot be visited (link)

Especially the Molen van Sloten is an interesting object. You will find an exhibition about Rembrandt in the attic. It can be accessed by the handicapped. Visit the website of the Molen van Sloten for more info.